Templates & Examples

Sample Pay Stub Example: See What a Real Pay Stub Looks Like

Sample Pay Stub Breakdown

Here's a detailed example of a professional pay stub with explanations for each section.

Sample Pay Stub Data

Company: ABC Corporation

  • Address: 123 Business Ave, New York, NY 10001
  • EIN: 12-3456789

Employee: John Smith

  • Employee ID: EMP-001
  • SSN: XXX-XX-4567
  • Pay Period: 03/01/2026 - 03/15/2026
  • Pay Date: 03/20/2026

Earnings Breakdown

DescriptionHoursRateCurrentYTD
Regular Pay80$25.00$2,000.00$12,000.00
Overtime5$37.50$187.50$562.50
Gross Pay$2,187.50$12,562.50

Deductions

DeductionCurrentYTD
Federal Income Tax$241.88$1,388.44
State Income Tax (NY)$125.75$722.81
Social Security (6.2%)$135.63$779.88
Medicare (1.45%)$31.72$182.16
Health Insurance$125.00$750.00
401(k) (6%)$131.25$753.75
Total Deductions$791.23$4,577.04

Net Pay

CurrentYTD
Net Pay$1,396.27$7,985.46

Key Observations

  1. Effective tax rate: ~36% of gross pay goes to deductions
  2. Pre-tax savings: 401(k) reduces taxable income
  3. YTD tracking: Shows 6 pay periods completed (semi-monthly)
  4. State tax: New York adds significant state income tax
  5. Take-home: About 64% of gross pay

Understanding Your Own Pay Stub

Compare your pay stub to this example. Every pay stub should have similar sections, though the exact format varies by employer.

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