Your paycheck shows more than what you take home. Here’s how to read your pay stub so you know where every dollar goes.
7 Simple Tips to Read Your Pay Stub:
- 💡 🧾 Check your name, address, and the pay period to confirm the stub is yours.
- ✅ ⏱️ Find your hours and rate (or salary) and confirm the gross pay before deductions.
- 💸 Review federal, state, and local taxes to see how much was withheld.
- 📌 🛡️ Check pre-tax deductions like retirement, health savings, or insurance that lower taxable pay.
- 💸 📆 Review year-to-date (YTD) totals to track your earnings, taxes, and deductions for the year.
- ✅ Confirm net pay matches your bank deposit or check amount.
- 📝 🗣️ If anything looks wrong, note it and ask HR or payroll to fix it.
👉 A quick 60-second review of each pay stub protects your money and catches mistakes early.