Pay-stub deep dive: every line, decoded
The 9 lines you actually need to read on every paystub — and what they really mean.
Every paystub has these lines
- •GROSS — your full pay before anything is taken.
- •FED — federal income tax withholding (set by your W-4).
- •OASDI — Social Security, flat 6.2%.
- •MEDICARE — flat 1.45%.
- •STATE — varies by state (0–13%).
- •PRE-TAX deductions — 401(k), HSA, health insurance (reduces taxable income).
- •POST-TAX deductions — Roth 401(k), garnishments, union dues (after tax).
- •EMPLOYER MATCH — what your company adds to your 401(k); not on your check but on the stub.
- •YTD vs CURRENT — year-to-date totals vs this period.
$2,083 → $1,548
Aiden's first biweekly stub
$54k salary in Ohio: gross $2,083, fed $187, OASDI $129, Medicare $30, state $48, 5% 401(k) $104, health premium $37 → net $1,548.
Every $100 you put in a Traditional 401(k) lowers federal taxable income. At a 22% bracket, the $100 'costs' you only $78 of net pay.
If a number on your stub looks weird, ask payroll the same week. Withholding errors that go unfixed for 6 months are tax-time disasters.
Try it yourself
Enter your salary. Hover (or tap) any line to see what it really means.
On a $50,000.00 salary, about 20% of every paycheck disappears before it hits your bank. Plan your life on the $1,532.88 per biweekly check, not the headline number.
Real life: meet Aiden's first stub, line by line
On a $54k OH salary, Aiden's first biweekly stub showed gross $2,083 and net $1,548. Once he labeled each line he stopped panicking — every deduction was correct and explainable.
Gross $2,083 → Net $1,548
Takeaway
Read your stub every paycheck. Hover/tap each line in the Stub Explorer below. Mistakes are common; catching them fast keeps you whole.
On a $50,000 salary at the 22% federal bracket, what does $100 to a Traditional 401(k) actually cost your net pay?
Takeaway: Every line on a stub is explainable — confusion only hides errors.
Try together: Print a real stub and label each line by hand. Then verify against the Paycheck Stub Explorer.