Every line on a typical pay stub, in the order it is calculated, using one worked paycheck from a $60,000 salary. Plus the three different "wages" on the same stub, and what the year-to-date column is for.
The example is a single filer on a $60,000 salary, paid biweekly (26 checks a year), contributing 5% to a traditional 401(k) and paying $150 a month toward employer health insurance, in Texas. Your employer's layout will differ, but the lines are almost always these:
| Line on the stub | This check | For the year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,307.69 | $60,000.00 |
| 401(k) contribution (pre-tax) | −$115.38 | −$3,000.00 |
| Health insurance (pre-tax) | −$69.23 | −$1,800.00 |
| Federal income tax withheld | −$170.92 | −$4,444.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$138.78 | −$3,608.40 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$32.46 | −$843.90 |
| State income tax (Texas has none) | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Net pay | $1,780.92 | $46,303.70 |
Taxes and deductions take $526.77 of the $2,307.69. The federal income tax line is an estimate of withholding, which is your employer's best guess at your tax for the year spread across paychecks; the real tax is settled on your return, which is why refunds and balances due exist.
Pre-tax deductions do not all avoid the same taxes. Health insurance paid through an employer plan comes out before income tax and before Social Security and Medicare. A traditional 401(k) contribution comes out before income tax but not before Social Security and Medicare. So one paycheck carries three different wage figures:
Social Security is 6.2% of the middle figure and Medicare 1.45% of it, which is why they come to $138.78 and $32.46 rather than percentages of gross. Income tax is figured on the smallest. These are also why the wages on your W-2 do not match your salary: box 1 would show $55,200 for this job and boxes 3 and 5 would show $58,200.
Most stubs show each line twice: this period and year-to-date. The year-to-date column is the useful one for checking. Social Security stops once your wages from one employer pass $184,500 in 2026, so a high earner's checks get larger late in the year; an extra 0.9% of Medicare starts on wages over $200,000; and your 401(k) total should be heading for the amount you meant to save.
Three quick checks each time you change jobs, benefits or tax forms: gross pay matches your rate times your hours or your salary divided by the number of pay periods; the deductions are the ones you chose, at the amounts you chose; and federal withholding looks plausible for your situation. If it looks far too low, a new W-4 fixes it before it becomes a bill in April.
It is gross minus taxes and deductions, and the deductions come first. In the example, $184.61 of pre-tax deductions come out before any tax is figured.
A traditional 401(k) avoids income tax now, but Social Security and Medicare are still taken on it. Employer health premiums avoid both.
Withholding is an estimate paid in advance. The actual tax is worked out on your return, and the difference is your refund or what you owe.
The example is computed with the same 2026 federal tables as the paycheck calculator: the 2026 brackets and standard deduction for a single filer, with no other income, credits or extra withholding. Real withholding follows the IRS percentage method and your Form W-4, so an actual stub can differ by a few dollars.
Nothing is saved or sent anywhere; this just checks your answers in the page itself.
Stubs also commonly show employer contributions (a 401(k) match, the employer share of health premiums) that are not taken from your pay, and local taxes in some cities and counties. Neither changes the order of the calculation.