30+ plain-English guides to gross pay, net pay, FICA taxes, deductions, YTD totals — everything confusing on your pay stub, explained clearly.
Your total earnings before any deductions. The starting number on every pay stub.
Your actual take-home amount after all taxes and deductions are subtracted.
The mandatory 7.65% that funds Social Security and Medicare — fully explained.
Year-to-Date totals track your running earnings and deductions for the year.
Why your employer withholds federal tax from every paycheck and how it's calculated.
6.2% of your paycheck, up to $168,600. The complete breakdown including the wage cap.
The 1.45% Medicare deduction — what it funds and how it works.
How state income tax works and which states have no income tax.
These reduce your taxable income — 401(k), HSA, FSA, and health insurance premiums.
Weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly — and how pay frequency affects your paycheck.
The W-4 determines how much federal tax your employer withholds. Get it right.
Federal overtime rules, time-and-a-half explained, and how overtime is taxed.