Need a pay stub for an apartment application, loan, or income verification? This guide provides free downloadable pay stub templates you can fill out yourself, plus step-by-step instructions to ensure accuracy.
We'll show you exactly how to use free templates, what information to include, and how to calculate everything correctly. By the end, you'll also understand why 95% of our users choose the automated generator over manual templates (hint: it saves hours and prevents costly mistakes).
Free Pay Stub Templates (Download Now)
✓ Pros:
- • Can add formulas for automatic calculations
- • Easy to edit and customize
- • Can save multiple versions
- • Works with Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice
✗ Cons:
- • Requires spreadsheet software
- • Must manually create formulas
- • Time-consuming to set up
- • Easy to make formula errors
What's Included:
Template download temporarily unavailable. Use our generator for instant, accurate results.
✓ Pros:
- • Universally compatible
- • Professional formatting
- • Easy to print
- • Works with Word, Google Docs, Pages
✗ Cons:
- • No automatic calculations
- • Manual math required
- • Harder to update numbers
- • High risk of errors
⚠️ Important: Word templates don't calculate automatically. You'll need to manually compute gross pay, all tax deductions, FICA, and net pay using a calculator.
Save time with automatic calculations — Get your pay stub in 3 minutes.
✓ Pros:
- • Opens on any device
- • Professional appearance
- • Can fill out digitally or print
- • Maintains formatting
✗ Cons:
- • Limited editability
- • No calculations at all
- • Requires PDF editor
- • Can't save and reuse easily
Get a professional, ready-to-use PDF instantly with our generator.
How to Fill Out a Pay Stub Template (Step-by-Step)
Employee Information:
- Full legal name
- Complete address
- Social Security Number
- Employee ID (if applicable)
Employer Information:
- Company legal name
- Business address
- EIN (Employer ID Number)
- Contact phone number
- Pay Period Start Date: First day of the pay period
- Pay Period End Date: Last day of the pay period
- Pay Date: Date the paycheck was issued (usually after pay period ends)
- Pay Frequency: Weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly
⚠️ Manual Calculation Required
This is where templates get tricky. You need to calculate gross pay yourself. Our generator does this automatically.
For Hourly Employees:
40 hrs × $25/hr = $1,000
5 OT hrs × $37.50/hr = $187.50
Gross Pay = $1,187.50
For Salaried Employees:
$60,000/year ÷ 26 pay periods = $2,307.69 per paycheck
Federal Income Tax
Calculated using progressive tax brackets based on your W-4, filing status, and gross pay. Requires IRS Publication 15-T.
Actual calculation requires complex formulas considering allowances, exemptions, and withholding certificates.
State Income Tax
Varies by state. Nine states have no income tax. Others range from 1% to 13.3% (California).
See our state guides for specific rates.
Social Security (FICA)
6.2% of gross wages up to $168,600 (2024 limit). Must track YTD to stop at wage base.
Medicare (FICA)
1.45% of all gross wages (no limit). Additional 0.9% for high earners over $200K.
Skip the Math!
Why spend 30+ minutes calculating taxes manually when our generator does it instantly for $12.99?
Auto-Calculate My TaxesEnter any voluntary deductions:
- Health insurance premiums
- 401(k) or retirement contributions
- HSA/FSA contributions
- Life insurance premiums
- Union dues
Final Calculation:
For each line item (gross pay, taxes, deductions, net pay), add your current pay period amount to your running total from the beginning of the year.
YTD Formula:
Previous YTD Gross: $50,000
Current Gross: $2,500
New YTD Gross: $52,500
Why 95% of Users Choose Our Generator Over Templates
Time Saved
95% time savings. That's 27-57 minutes you get back.
Accuracy Rate
High error rate on taxes
AI-verified calculations
Feature Comparison:
| Feature | Free Template | Generator ($12.99) |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-calculate federal taxes | ❌ | ✅ |
| Auto-calculate state taxes | ❌ | ✅ |
| Auto-calculate FICA | ❌ | ✅ |
| Track YTD automatically | ❌ | ✅ |
| Professional formatting | △ Basic | ✅ Premium |
| Instant PDF download | ❌ | ✅ |
| Free preview before buying | N/A | ✅ |
| Time to complete | 30-60 min | 2-3 min |
| Total Cost | $0 + your time | $12.99 |
Your Time is Worth More Than $12.99
If you value your time at even $20/hour, spending 45 minutes on a template costs you $15 in lost time—plus the risk of errors.
Generate My Pay Stub in 3 Minutes⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rated 4.9/5 by 10,000+ users
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, using pay stub templates is completely legal as long as all information you enter is accurate and truthful. Templates are simply formatting tools. However, creating false or fraudulent pay stubs with fake information is illegal and can result in serious consequences including fines and criminal charges.
Free templates work if you have 30-60 minutes and know how to calculate all taxes manually. Pay stub generators are better for most people because they: (1) Save hours of time (2-3 minutes vs 30-60), (2) Automatically calculate all federal, state, and FICA taxes correctly, (3) Look more professional, (4) Reduce error risk to near zero. For $12.99, most users find the time and accuracy worth it.
Yes, as long as the information is accurate and complete. Landlords accept pay stubs regardless of whether they were created with a free template or paid generator. The key is that all earnings, deductions, employer information, and personal details must be truthful and verifiable. Learn more about pay stubs for apartment applications.
Most people spend 30-60 minutes per pay stub when using a free template. This includes looking up tax rates, calculating progressive federal brackets, computing FICA withholdings, adding up deductions, and tracking YTD totals. If you need multiple pay stubs, this time multiplies quickly. Our generator completes the same process in 2-3 minutes with automatic calculations.
Calculating federal income tax correctly is the biggest challenge. Federal tax uses progressive brackets and requires consulting IRS Publication 15-T, factoring in your W-4 allowances, filing status, and pay frequency. Most people either oversimplify this (causing errors) or spend 15+ minutes per stub trying to get it right. State taxes add another layer of complexity. Our generator handles all of this automatically using current tax tables.
Yes, with Excel templates you can save a version and update it for each new pay period. However, you'll need to manually update: pay period dates, hours worked (if hourly), recalculate all taxes, update YTD totals (adding current to previous), and update the pay date. Word and PDF templates are harder to reuse efficiently. If you need multiple pay stubs regularly, a generator saves significant time.
If you catch a mistake before submitting it, simply correct the template and recalculate. If you've already submitted it to a landlord or lender and the error is significant (wrong income amount, incorrect taxes), you should notify them immediately and provide a corrected version. Honest mistakes are understandable, but intentional falsification is illegal. With templates, common errors include: miscalculated taxes, wrong YTD totals, incorrect net pay, and transposed numbers.
The template format itself doesn't change by state, but you'll need to use your state's specific tax rate when filling it out. Nine states (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) have no state income tax. Other states range from ~1% to 13.3%. Some states also require specific information to be included on pay stubs. Check our state guides for California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois.
Most states require these minimum elements:
- • Employee name and address
- • Employer name and address
- • Pay period dates and pay date
- • Hours worked (for hourly employees)
- • Gross wages
- • All deductions (itemized)
- • Net pay
- • Year-to-date totals
Learn more about pay stub requirements and sections.
Ready to Save Time and Avoid Errors?
Join 10,000+ users who chose accuracy and convenience. Create professional pay stubs in minutes with automatic tax calculations, YTD tracking, and instant PDF download.
2-3 Minute Setup
vs 30-60 min with templates
99.9% Accuracy
AI-verified calculations
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