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Does my pay stub add up, and what does each line mean?
Copy the amounts from one pay stub. The lab explains each line in plain words and checks that the math adds up. The values shown are a sample.
The top line, before deductions.
Zero if your state has none.
Zero if you do not contribute.
Such as a flexible spending account.
Such as Roth 401(k) or union dues.
The amount deposited.
Including this stub. It lets the lab check the $184,500 Social Security limit.
Percent of pay, from your benefits page. Leave blank if none.
1 to check
This week: ask payroll about any line marked check this, and bring the stub.
$2,500.00 gross minus $728.60 of deductions is $1,771.40, which matches the net pay.
$148.80 fits 6.2% of the pay that counts ($148.80).
$34.80 fits 1.45% of the pay that counts ($34.80).
Your 401(k) is 6.0% of gross pay. The match runs to 8%, which is $200.00 a paycheck, so $50.00 more reaches it. Plans define the match on their own terms, so check yours.
Federal withholding looks off? The Paycheck lab estimates it from your pay.
What you earned this pay period, before anything came out.
Withheld toward your federal tax bill. The amount follows your W-4, and the return settles the real bill.
Withheld toward your state tax bill. Some states have none, so zero can be right.
6.2% of pay up to $184,500 in 2026. It funds Social Security benefits.
1.45% of all pay, with no cap. An extra 0.9% applies to pay above $200,000 in a year.
Your own retirement savings, taken from pay. A traditional 401(k) skips income tax now but not Social Security or Medicare.
Your share of the health plan cost. Premiums paid before tax through an employer plan skip income tax, Social Security and Medicare.
Money moved into a health savings account through payroll.
Other deductions taken before income tax, such as a flexible spending account or a commuter benefit.
Deductions taken after tax, such as a Roth 401(k), union dues, life insurance or a garnishment.
What is deposited: gross pay minus every line above.
Educational, not payroll advice. The lab checks four things: net pay against gross minus deductions, Social Security at 6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base, Medicare at 1.45% (plus 0.9% above $200,000 a year), and a 401(k) against the match you enter. It simplifies: pay that counts for Social Security and Medicare is gross pay less the health and HSA lines, other pre-tax pay is allowed to be exempt or not, rounding of up to 5 cents is allowed, and state and local taxes are not checked. IRS publication 15 for 2026 · SSA wage base · IRS publication 15-B for 2026 · IRS topic 751
Gross pay is $2,500. A $100 health premium skips Social Security and Medicare, so $2,400 counts. Social Security at 6.2% is $148.80 and Medicare at 1.45% is $34.80. With $190 federal, $80 state, $150 for the 401(k), the $100 premium and $25 of post-tax deductions, the deductions total $728.60 and net pay is $1,771.40. If the employer matches up to 8%, that is $200 a paycheck, and the $150 contribution is 6.0% of pay, so $50 a paycheck is short of the match.
Finance Quest is educational. It is not financial advice, and no calculator here knows your full situation.
A traditional 401(k) contribution lowers the pay your income tax is based on. It does not lower the pay Social Security and Medicare are based on. On a $2,500 stub with a $150 contribution, both taxes still apply to the full amount, so the Social Security line is 6.2% of the pay before the 401(k).
Net pay is gross pay minus every deduction, including health premiums, retirement contributions and post-tax items. Enter all of them and the lab shows whether the total matches.
Social Security tax applies to pay up to a yearly limit, which is $184,500 for 2026. Once your year-to-date pay passes it, none is withheld for the rest of the year.
Employers withhold an extra 0.9% on pay above $200,000 in a calendar year, so the Medicare line rises once you pass that point.
A premium paid before tax through an employer's cafeteria plan is exempt from Social Security and Medicare as well as income tax, so the pay those taxes apply to is lower than gross pay.