Free Pay Stub Template

What Is a Pay Stub Template and Who Needs One

A pay stub template (also called a paycheck stub or payslip template) is a pre-formatted document that records an employee's earnings and deductions for a single pay period. It shows the gross pay earned, every deduction taken (taxes, insurance, retirement), and the net pay the employee actually receives.

Pay stubs serve multiple practical purposes beyond just telling an employee how much they were paid. They are required documentation for apartment rental applications, mortgage pre-approvals, car loans, and certain government assistance applications. They also help employees verify that their tax withholdings are being calculated correctly and catch payroll errors early.

• Small business owners and employers who pay staff manually or through spreadsheets rather than payroll software
• Freelancers and self-employed workers who need to document income for loan applications or tax records
• Contractors who pay subcontractors and need a paper record for accounting and tax purposes
• Domestic employers (household staff, nannies, house cleaners) who manage payroll without formal HR systems
• Employees whose employer does not provide pay stubs and who need documentation of income
• HR staff at small companies setting up a consistent payroll record format before switching to software

What to Include on a Pay Stub Template

A complete paystub template includes four main sections. Missing any of them creates problems when the pay stub is used for loan applications or tax purposes.

• Employer information: Company name, address, and Employer Identification Number (EIN). The EIN is required for a pay stub to be accepted by most lenders and government agencies
• Employee information: Full name, employee ID or last four digits of Social Security Number, job title, and the pay period start and end dates
• Earnings breakdown: Hours worked, hourly rate (or salary), any overtime, bonuses or commissions, and the gross pay total for the period. A year-to-date (YTD) gross figure shows cumulative earnings for the tax year
• Deductions: Federal and state income tax, Social Security (6.2% of gross), Medicare (1.45% of gross), health insurance premiums, retirement contributions (401k, IRA), and any other withholdings. YTD deduction totals are required for accurate W-2 preparation at year end
• Net pay: The final take-home amount after all deductions, plus a YTD net pay figure
• Pay date: The date the payment was or will be issued, which may differ from the end of the pay period

How to Fill Out and Use a Pay Stub Template

Filling out a paystub template correctly takes about five minutes once you have the payroll figures ready. Use a consistent process for every pay period to avoid errors.

1. Open the pay stub template in Google Docs, Word, or as an editable PDF and save a copy with the employee name and pay period in the filename
2. Fill in the employer section: company name, address, and EIN. This section stays the same every pay period and can be pre-filled if you save a master template
3. Enter the employee's name, ID, job title, and the pay period dates (start and end date) and the actual pay date
4. Calculate gross pay: multiply hours worked by the hourly rate, then add overtime (hours over 40 per week at 1.5x the regular rate in most US states) and any bonuses
5. Calculate each deduction: use IRS withholding tables or a free payroll calculator to determine federal and state tax withholding based on the employee's W-4; Social Security is 6.2% of gross, Medicare is 1.45% of gross
6. Subtract total deductions from gross pay to get net pay and enter it in the net pay field
7. Update the YTD fields by adding this period's gross pay and deductions to the previous YTD totals
8. Save as PDF before sending to the employee to prevent accidental edits

Free Pay Stub Template: PDF vs. Word vs. Google Docs

Paystub templates are available in several formats, and each has a specific advantage depending on how you manage payroll.

An editable PDF pay stub template is the most common format for employer use because PDF files prevent accidental changes after the pay stub is finalized. Many free PDF pay stub templates include fillable form fields, so you tab through the document, enter the figures, and save a completed copy. An editable PDF blank pay stubs template is searchable online and is the format most often accepted by banks and lenders for income verification.

A Word pay stub template (.docx) is easiest to customize because you can add or remove deduction lines, change the layout, and save a master template with your company details pre-filled. Once you have set up the master, duplicate it each pay period and update the variable figures. Word templates also convert easily to PDF via File, Export or Save as PDF.

A Google Docs pay stub template works the same way as a Word template but stores in the cloud and is accessible from any device. For small employers who work entirely in Google Workspace, a Google Docs pay stub keeps payroll records alongside other Google Drive documents without additional software.

Pay Stub Calculation Guide: Taxes and Deductions

The deductions section is where pay stub errors occur most often. Here are the standard rates and rules for US payroll in 2026.

• Social Security tax: 6.2% of gross wages up to the annual wage base limit (the wage base adjusts annually; check IRS.gov for the current year). The employer matches this amount
• Medicare tax: 1.45% of all gross wages, no wage cap. An additional 0.9% applies to earnings over $200,000 for a single filer
• Federal income tax: Calculated from IRS Publication 15-T withholding tables based on the employee's W-4 allowances and filing status. A free withholding calculator is available at IRS.gov
• State income tax: Varies by state. Several states (Texas, Florida, Washington, and others) have no state income tax. Check your state's revenue department website for the current withholding tables
• Health insurance premiums: The employee's share of employer-sponsored health, dental, and vision premiums. Pre-tax premiums (Section 125) reduce the gross income subject to taxes
• 401(k) contributions: Employee deferrals reduce federal taxable income but not Social Security or Medicare. The 2026 contribution limit is indexed annually; check IRS.gov
• State unemployment insurance (SUTA): Paid by the employer, not deducted from the employee, but sometimes included in the employer section of a pay stub for reference

Common Pay Stub Mistakes to Avoid

Pay stub errors create downstream problems at tax time and can lead to employee complaints or compliance issues. These are the most common mistakes when using a paystub template manually.

• Forgetting to update YTD figures each period: Year-to-date totals must accumulate correctly across every pay period in the calendar year; failing to update them makes W-2 preparation incorrect
• Using the wrong pay period dates: The pay period (the dates worked) and the pay date (the date the check is issued) are different; both must appear on the pay stub
• Applying the wrong overtime rate: US federal law (FLSA) requires overtime at 1.5x the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, but some states have daily overtime rules as well
• Omitting the EIN: A pay stub without an Employer Identification Number is often rejected by banks and lenders for income verification
• Rounding deductions inconsistently: Round all calculated tax figures to the nearest cent consistently; rounding up some and down others creates discrepancies at year-end reconciliation
• Not saving a copy for the employer: Keep a copy of every pay stub issued for at least four years, which is the IRS recommended retention period for payroll records