What Is OASDI on My Pay Stub? 2026 Rate & Limit

U.S. pay-stub guide · 2026 Social Security tax

2026 and 2027 wage-base figures checked against official SSA guidance on November 12, 2026. About the author · Editorial and responsible-use standards

What Do OASDI, SS-OASDI and FED OASDI/EE Mean on a Paycheck?

FED OASDI/EE usually means the federal Social Security tax deducted from the employee's paycheck. FED signals a federal payroll item; OASDI names the Social Security program; and EE commonly means employee. This OASDI payroll deduction is the employee Social Security tax withheld from covered wages. The separate employer-paid share may appear as OASDI/ER, but it should not be subtracted from the employee's net pay.

Why the deduction appears: It funds the federal Social Security program that provides retirement, survivor, and disability benefits. OASDI is part of FICA, while Medicare is the other regular component. It is not a personal savings-account contribution.

Employers use different abbreviations. You might see OASDI, SS-OASDI, FICA-SS, SS Tax, Social Security, Soc Sec, FED OASDI/EE or a similar label. When a code is unfamiliar, confirm how your employer uses it rather than assuming every payroll system follows one codebook.

Is FED OASDI/EE the same as federal withholding?

No. FED OASDI/EE is normally the employee Social Security tax. Federal income-tax withholding is a separate deduction, commonly labeled FIT, FWT, Federal Withholding or Federal Income Tax. Your W-4 affects federal income-tax withholding; it does not set the standard 6.2% OASDI rate on covered Social Security wages.

For more payroll labels, use the pay-stub abbreviations guide. For combined Social Security and Medicare taxes, see the separate FICA guide.

What Is the OASDI Tax Rate and Maximum for 2026?

The employee and employer each generally contribute 6.2% of covered Social Security wages. The employee's regular withholding is limited by the $184,500 annual wage base; the separate employer contribution follows the same normal wage-base limit. The employee maximum is $184,500 × 0.062 = $11,439. This is a cap on taxable earnings, not a cap on how much someone may earn. The wage base was $176,100 in 2025; use the tax year shown on your paycheck rather than applying the 2026 cap to an earlier year. SSA wage-base figures and IRS Publication 15 provide the primary rules.

Where Does OASDI Appear on a Paycheck or Pay Stub?

The following example shows how the same pay period can have different gross, federal taxable, and Social Security wage amounts. These are fictional educational figures, not a real payroll record or proof of employment.

Check the highlighted line: $1,800 current Social Security wages × 6.2% = $111.60 current OASDI. Prior OASDI was $1,116.00, so the displayed inclusive YTD OASDI is $1,116.00 + $111.60 = $1,227.60. The gross-to-net check is $2,000 − $200 − $100 − $111.60 − $26.10 − $128 − $48 = $1,386.30.

2026 OASDI Paycheck Checker: Does Your Deduction Look Right?

For a quick estimate, enter the wages subject to Social Security tax on the current paycheck. You can type values such as 1800, 1,800.00 or $1,800.00. If you are nearing the annual $184,500 limit, choose the annual-cap check and add this employer’s eligible wages from earlier 2026 paychecks. Do not substitute the capped Social Security wages shown after reaching the limit for the pre-cap eligible wages; ask payroll if the original eligible amount is unclear.

Example 1: an ordinary paycheck

Example 2: a paycheck that reaches the 2026 wage limit

Suppose your previous pay stub shows $183,000 in this employer's Social Security-eligible wages before the current paycheck. Your next check includes $4,000 in current eligible wages. Only $1,500 remains below the $184,500 annual wage base.

After that check reaches the limit, this employer ordinarily stops withholding regular Social Security tax on additional covered wages for the rest of 2026. Qualifying predecessor–successor employer arrangements can affect how earlier wages count; ask payroll if an acquisition or transfer was involved. Regular Medicare withholding continues on covered wages because it has no corresponding annual wage cap. IRS Publication 15.

What Are OASDI Taxable Wages, and Why Is OASDI Not 6.2% of Gross Pay?

Social Security-taxable wages can differ from gross wages and federal income-tax wages. First identify the employer's Social Security wage base for the pay period. Then check whether the wage limit or a prior-period adjustment affected the current deduction.

Two equal gross paychecks can have different OASDI deductions. For example, on a $2,000 paycheck, an eligible $200 benefit can reduce Social Security wages to $1,800 and the normal withholding to $111.60. A $200 traditional 401(k) deferral ordinarily does not reduce those Social Security wages; in that case the normal withholding remains $124. IRS retirement-plan contribution guidance.

For a full explanation of different wage bases, see taxable wages on a pay stub, and for retirement codes see 401(k) on a pay stub.

Why Did OASDI Change or Stop Coming Out of My Paycheck?

One common explanation is reaching the Social Security wage base. For standard covered wages paid by one employer in 2026, the tax generally stops once the employer has applied OASDI to $184,500 in eligible wages. A paycheck that crosses the limit may show a smaller-than-usual deduction rather than zero. That is not a rule that stops Medicare withholding. OASDI normally applies again to covered wages paid in the next calendar year.

Missing OASDI can also reflect a legitimate employment-tax exemption, a type of payment that is not subject to Social Security tax, a correction, or an employer payroll problem. The correct explanation depends on the worker and payment. A missing OASDI line by itself does not establish that a tax exemption applies.

OASDI Deduction Looks Wrong? Check These Five Things

If your Social Security tax is not exactly 6.2% of the amount you expected, that does not automatically mean payroll made a mistake. Use the check that matches what you see on your paycheck.

When to contact payroll: If you cannot reconcile your OASDI amount after checking taxable wages, the annual cap and adjustments, ask payroll for the Social Security wage calculation and the reason for any correction. The OASDI checker provides a comparison, not a determination that a paycheck is right or wrong.

What Does OASDI YTD Mean, and How Does It Connect to a W-2?

OASDI YTD means the Social Security tax withheld so far in the employer's reporting year, usually including the current paycheck. If a paycheck shows $1,116.00 in employee OASDI before the current period and $111.60 for the current period, the new inclusive YTD is $1,227.60.

For ordinary wages under the annual cap, you can use OASDI ÷ 0.062 as a rough reverse check of the wages subject to Social Security tax. Do not rely on that reverse check for a threshold-crossing paycheck, rounding differences, corrections or special wage situations.

Year-end corrections, tips, unusual employer arrangements and reporting adjustments can make a simple pay-stub-to-W-2 comparison incomplete. Use the final W-2 rather than an earlier pay stub when filing. See IRS Form W-2 instructions and the ePaystubs current-versus-YTD guide.

Can Two Employers Withhold More Than the OASDI Maximum?

Yes. Each employer ordinarily calculates withholding on the covered wages it pays. For example, if Employer A and Employer B each pay $100,000 in Social Security wages during 2026, each may correctly withhold $6,200. Together, that is $12,400, which is $961 more than the $11,439 regular employee maximum.

When two employers each withheld correctly, the excess employee Social Security tax may generally be claimed as a credit on the applicable federal income-tax return. If one employer withheld too much, the employer generally must correct the overcollection; the process is different. See IRS Topic 608 before claiming a credit or requesting a refund.

OASDI vs FICA, Medicare, and Federal Income Tax

OASDI (sometimes labeled SS-OASDI) is the Social Security component of FICA, not the entire federal payroll-tax deduction. The other regular FICA component is Medicare, generally 1.45% for employees on covered wages, without the Social Security wage cap. An additional 0.9% Medicare tax can apply above the statutory earnings thresholds, but it is not OASDI. Federal income-tax withholding (FIT/FWT) is calculated under separate rules and may differ from either amount.

Read the related guides for FICA on a pay stub, MED/Medicare on a pay stub, and FIT and FWT withholding. This OASDI page focuses on identifying and checking the Social Security deduction.

OASDI Pay-Stub Questions

Educational information only: This guide and checker describe ordinary 2026 U.S. employee Social Security withholding. Special employment arrangements, taxable benefits, tips, corrections, and exemptions can change the treatment. The checker is not a substitute for an employer's payroll records, tax instructions, or individual professional advice.