How to create a pay stub online
Enter the employer and employee details, select the pay period, and add salary or hourly earnings. Review federal and applicable state tax estimates, choose one of the available templates, and check the preview against your payroll records before downloading the PDF.
What information do you need?
Have the employer address, employee details, pay dates, hours or salary, any overtime earnings, tax elections, and deductions ready. Verify gross pay, withholding, net pay, and year-to-date amounts against your records before using the finished document.
What is the difference between gross pay, net pay and YTD?
Gross pay is the amount earned before withholding and deductions. Net pay is the amount left after those amounts are subtracted. Year-to-date (YTD) totals track earnings and deductions from the beginning of the calendar year through the current pay date. Keep the current pay period and YTD figures separate when checking your stub.
Illustrative example: If gross earnings for one pay period are $1,500 and the total of all deductions and withholding is $300, net pay is $1,200. These numbers illustrate the arithmetic only; they are not a tax calculation for a particular employee.
How does a pay stub creator estimate payroll deductions?
The form uses your pay frequency, earnings, employee tax settings, and selected deductions to build the estimate. Federal income-tax withholding depends on the applicable Form W-4 and the tax year. For example, older Forms W-4 may use withholding allowances, while Forms W-4 from 2020 onward use a different set of adjustments. Social Security, Medicare, state withholding and possible local taxes require separate consideration. A generated estimate may differ from an employer's finalized payroll statement.
Check the official IRS Publication 15-T (2026 federal withholding methods) and IRS Publication 15 (Employer's Tax Guide) when reviewing federal rules. For state or local income tax, consult the revenue department for the state where the employee works or resides, as applicable. These references explain the rules; they do not independently certify this generator's results.
Review before downloading your pay stub PDF
- Confirm the employer and employee names, addresses and pay-period dates.
- Check hourly rate, hours, overtime eligibility, salary and other earnings against real records.
- Compare tax elections, deductions, gross pay, net pay and any YTD totals with payroll records.
- Select a template, open Preview Stub and inspect the entire page for missing or cut-off fields.
- Only use the PDF with accurate information and follow the receiving party's document requirements.
Is a check stub different from a pay stub?
No. The phrases check stub and pay stub commonly describe the same earnings statement, whether wages are paid by direct deposit or paper check. A check stub usually lists the pay period, gross earnings, applicable taxes and deductions, and net pay. You can enter your actual payroll details in the free pay stub maker above and review the resulting check stub before downloading a PDF.
If you want to compare layouts before making a check stub, view the nine pay stub templates, then return with your chosen design. Generated documents must accurately reflect real earnings and are not independently verified by ePaystubs.
Questions about creating pay stubs
Is the pay stub PDF download free?
Yes. The current free-download offer lets you create, preview and download a completed pay stub PDF without a coupon code or payment.
How do I make a free check stub online?
Enter the employer and employee details, choose the pay period, and provide actual salary or hourly earnings and deductions. Check the preview carefully, select your layout, and use the free download workflow to save the PDF.
Can I change the pay stub template?
Yes. Use the Change Template control next to the preview to choose among the nine available designs.
Can I use a generated pay stub as proof of income?
A document generated from user-entered details is not independently verified proof of employment or income. Use accurate records and follow the receiving institution's requirements.
Can I prepare a pay stub for hourly or salaried work?
Yes. Enter the actual hourly earnings and hours worked, or the salary and pay frequency. Include any applicable overtime, deductions and taxes. Review the calculation against the employer's payroll records before using the document.
Does downloading a PDF make it an official employer-issued pay stub?
No. A PDF prepared from information entered into an online tool does not become employer-verified solely because it can be downloaded or printed. Only enter truthful information and obtain employer-issued records when required.
For more help, explore pay stub templates, payroll guides, our company information, privacy policy, or contact support.
