Online Pay Stub Generator -- Instant PDF Download
Federal, state, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) deductions are calculated automatically based on 2024 rates.
Generate and Download Your Pay Stub Now
This online pay stub generator works entirely in your browser. Fill in the form above -- employer name, employee name, pay period, gross earnings, filing status, and state -- and download a professional PDF pay stub in under 60 seconds. No account required, no email address, no payment.
The PDF includes every field that landlords, lenders, and financial institutions require: employer and employee information, pay period dates, gross pay, itemized deductions (federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state income tax), net pay, and year-to-date totals.
How the Online Calculator Works
The tax calculations use current 2024 IRS guidelines and actual state tax rates:
Federal income tax: The 2024 federal brackets (10% / 12% / 22% / 24% / 32% / 35% / 37%) applied using the IRS percentage method. Your filing status determines the standard deduction applied before bracket rates kick in: $14,600 for single filers, $29,200 for married filing jointly, $21,900 for head of household.
Social Security: 6.2% on wages up to the 2024 wage base of $168,600. Once year-to-date wages cross this threshold, Social Security stops being deducted.
Medicare: 1.45% on all wages. An additional 0.9% applies above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married).
State income tax: Applied at each state's actual rate. California uses a graduated schedule reaching up to 13.3%. Texas, Florida, and seven other states show $0 state tax. All 50 states supported.
Real Example: Online Calculator Output
A project manager at a San Francisco startup earns $7,500 semi-monthly (24 pay periods per year = $180,000 annual salary). California taxes are significant. Here is the pay stub:
- Gross pay: $7,500.00
- Federal income tax (32% bracket, single, semi-monthly): --$1,740.00
- Social Security (6.2%): --$465.00
- Medicare (1.45%): --$108.75
- California state income tax (~9.3% bracket): --$480.00
- Net pay: $4,706.25
Year-to-date gross after six months: $45,000. This employee has not yet reached the $168,600 Social Security cap, so full FICA continues through the year.
Who Uses an Online Pay Stub Generator
Gig workers and contractors (the largest group)
DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, Instacart, Fiverr, Upwork, TaskRabbit, and other platforms classify workers as independent contractors. No pay stubs are issued. An online generator fills this gap for apartment applications, personal loans, and other income verification needs.
Small businesses issuing stubs to employees
Small employers without payroll software can use this online tool to generate pay stubs for employees each pay period. Many states legally require pay stubs with each paycheck. This tool handles the calculations and produces a professional document you can email or print.
Self-employed professionals
Freelancers, consultants, and sole proprietors who invoice clients directly have no employer generating pay stubs. Online pay stub generators convert invoice-based income into the standardized format that rental applications and lenders require.
Online vs. Downloaded Template: Key Difference
An online generator calculates taxes for you. A downloaded Word or Excel template gives you blank fields to fill in -- including the tax fields -- which means you have to calculate every number yourself or leave them wrong. Tax calculation errors on a manually completed template are a common reason self-generated stubs get rejected by reviewers who notice the numbers do not add up.
This online generator handles all the math automatically using current tax tables. You enter gross pay and basic information; the tool produces accurate deduction amounts without you needing to know any tax math.
How to Enter Each Field Online
Employer name: The legal name of whoever pays you. For DoorDash drivers: "DoorDash, Inc." For Uber: "Uber Technologies, Inc." For self-employed: your business name or your name plus "Self-Employed."
Employee name: Your legal name as it appears on ID and tax documents.
Pay period: Weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly. Choose the frequency that matches how often you actually receive income from this source.
Gross pay: Your total earnings for the pay period before any deductions. For gig workers: the total deposited by the platform for that week. For contractors: the invoice total received. For hourly workers: rate × hours.
Filing status: How you file your taxes -- Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, or Head of Household.
State: Where you work (or primarily receive income). Determines state income tax rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the online generator for an apartment application?
Yes. The generated PDF is formatted to meet apartment application income verification requirements. Generate stubs covering the most recent two to three months and pair them with bank statements showing matching deposits. See the apartment application guide.
Does the online generator save my data?
No. The tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is stored on a server, sent anywhere, or saved between sessions. Close the browser and the information is gone.
How long does it take?
Most users generate and download a pay stub in under two minutes. The form is short, the calculation is instant, and the PDF downloads immediately.
Can I make changes and regenerate?
Yes. Fill in the form, preview the result, and if you need changes (different pay period date, different gross amount), just update the fields and generate again. Each download is a fresh PDF.
What if I need the stub in a different format?
The tool generates PDF only, which is the universally accepted format for income documentation. PDFs are the format landlords, banks, and lenders expect. A Word document or image file of a pay stub is less professionally credible.
Related Tools
For specific situations: free pay stub generator (no-cost details), pay stub for apartment, pay stub for personal loan, self-employed pay stub generator, all proof of income methods.