Pay Stub Generator -- Free and Instant
Federal, state, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) deductions are calculated automatically based on 2024 rates.
Generate a Pay Stub in Under 60 Seconds
This pay stub generator creates a professional, formatted PDF document that shows employer name, employee name, pay period, gross earnings, every deduction (federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, state tax), and net pay. Fill in your details above, download the PDF, and you have a document that landlords, lenders, and financial institutions recognize and accept.
No watermark. No account. No email. No payment. The tool runs in your browser and no data is sent to a server.
What a Pay Stub Generator Actually Calculates
The calculator does not apply flat estimates. It uses current IRS withholding tables and each state's actual tax rates:
Federal income tax: Calculated using the IRS percentage method. Your gross pay is annualized, the standard deduction for your filing status is subtracted, and the 2024 marginal bracket rates (10% / 12% / 22% / 24% / 32% / 35% / 37%) are applied. The result is divided by your pay periods to get the per-stub withholding.
Social Security: 6.2% of gross wages up to the $168,600 wage base (2024). Stops automatically once cumulative earnings reach the cap.
Medicare: 1.45% of all wages with no cap. An additional 0.9% applies to wages above $200,000 (single filer) or $250,000 (married filing jointly).
State income tax: Each of the 42 states with an income tax has a different rate or set of brackets. The generator applies the correct rate for the state you select. Nine states have no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) -- selecting these produces a stub with $0 in state withholding.
Worked Example: What a Pay Stub Shows
A freelance designer in Texas earns $2,500 in a biweekly pay period. Here is exactly what the generated pay stub shows:
- Gross pay: $2,500.00
- Federal income tax (22% marginal bracket, single filer): --$373.00
- Social Security (6.2%): --$155.00
- Medicare (1.45%): --$36.25
- Texas state income tax: $0.00 (no state income tax)
- Net pay: $1,935.75
- Year-to-date gross: $5,000.00 (after two biweekly periods)
The gross pay figure ($2,500 per period / $5,417 per month at biweekly frequency) is what landlords and lenders use for income qualification. A 3x monthly rent requirement means this designer qualifies for apartments up to approximately $1,800/month.
Who Uses a Pay Stub Generator
Independent contractors and 1099 workers
The most common use case. Clients pay 1099 contractors without issuing pay stubs -- which creates a documentation gap when applying for apartments, car loans, or personal loans. A pay stub generator fills that gap by producing a formatted document based on your actual earnings.
Gig platform workers
DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, Instacart, Fiverr, Upwork, and similar platforms pay contractors without issuing pay stubs. The generator has dedicated pages for each major gig platform with platform-specific guidance. See: DoorDash, Uber, Instacart, Lyft.
Small business owners paying employees
Small businesses without a formal payroll service need to issue pay stubs to employees. Many states require employers to provide pay stubs with each paycheck. This generator handles the math and produces a professional document you can print or email to each employee.
Sole proprietors documenting income
Self-employed sole proprietors need income documentation that looks like a pay stub rather than a list of invoice payments. Monthly stubs based on actual client revenue give landlords and lenders a document they know how to evaluate.
Pay Stub Fields Explained
Employer Name: The company or person paying you. For gig workers: the platform name ("DoorDash, Inc.", "Uber Technologies, Inc."). For self-employed workers: your own business name or "Self-Employed." For employees of companies: the legal company name.
Employee Name: Your legal name as it appears on tax documents.
Pay Period: The date range this stub covers. Common options: weekly (52 per year), biweekly (26 per year), semi-monthly (24 per year), monthly (12 per year). Match this to how often you actually receive income.
Gross Pay: Total earnings before any deductions. For hourly workers: hourly rate × hours worked. For salaried workers: annual salary ÷ pay periods. For gig workers and contractors: total received from the platform or clients for the period.
Filing Status: Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, or Head of Household. Affects your standard deduction and federal tax bracket calculation.
State: Determines which state income tax rate applies. Select the state where you primarily work or receive income.
Pay Stub vs. Other Income Documentation
Different financial situations call for different documentation:
For apartment applications: Pay stubs are the universally accepted format. Most landlords want two to three recent stubs. Bank statements showing matching deposits strengthen the application.
For personal loans: Banks and online lenders accept pay stubs. Credit unions are typically most flexible with non-standard income. See pay stub for personal loan.
For car loans: Dealers and lenders want one to two recent stubs. Bank statements may be requested alongside stubs. See pay stub for car loan.
For mortgages: Pay stubs alone are not sufficient for self-employed borrowers. Tax returns (two years) and a year-to-date profit-and-loss statement are also required. See pay stub for mortgage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the pay stub PDF legal?
A pay stub that accurately reflects your real income is legal documentation. Using it to misrepresent income -- inflating earnings or fabricating an employer -- constitutes fraud. This tool is for documenting genuine earnings in a standardized format.
How accurate are the tax calculations?
The calculator uses current 2024 IRS withholding tables and actual state tax rates. Federal income tax uses the IRS percentage method (the same method payroll processors use). Social Security applies the correct 6.2% rate up to the $168,600 wage base. State taxes use each state's current withholding rates. The result matches what any payroll software would produce for the same inputs.
Can I create stubs for past pay periods?
Yes. Enter any date range for the pay period. You can document income from previous months by entering the dates and amounts that correspond to that historical period.
Does the stub show year-to-date totals?
Yes. Year-to-date figures for gross pay, each tax category, and net pay appear on the generated stub. For the first stub, YTD equals the single-period amount. For subsequent stubs in the same year, enter the cumulative gross pay to date for accurate YTD figures.
What file format is the output?
PDF. It prints cleanly on standard 8.5" × 11" paper and works for email submission to landlords, lenders, and any other party requesting income documentation.
Do I need to create an account?
No. Zero account, zero email required. The tool runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent to any server.
Related Tools
For specific situations, these pages have targeted guidance: free pay stub generator (what "free" means and what to watch for), self-employed pay stub generator (sole proprietors and Schedule C filers), proof of income generator (all eight accepted income verification methods), pay stub for apartment applications.