A pay stub, also called a paycheck stub, check stub, pay slip, or earnings statement, is the document that breaks down what you earned in a pay period and what was taken out. It shows your gross pay, the taxes withheld, any deductions, and the net pay you actually take home. For a full walk-through of the format, see what a pay stub is and how each section fits together.
People use several names for the same document. A pay stub, a paystub, a check stub, and a checkstub all mean the same thing, and so do the tools that make them: a pay stub generator, a check stub maker, and a paystub creator are the same kind of tool. Whatever you call it, the job is the same, turning your pay details into a clean, itemized record.
What is on a pay stub
Every line on a stub has a purpose. If you have ever wondered what the codes mean, our guide on how to read a pay stub explains it in plain terms, including what FICA is on a pay stub and what YTD means. Understanding these makes it easy to check that a generated stub is accurate before you use it.
Why people need a pay stub
Pay stubs are useful in a lot of everyday situations, especially at tax time. Employees and employers both keep them for proof of income, income verification, and tax filing. If a W-2 is late or misplaced, a pay stub can stand in to calculate the numbers you need. Freelancers and small business owners who do not receive stubs from an employer often create their own to document real earnings.