The short definition
A pay stub — also called a paycheck stub, payslip, wage statement, or earnings statement — is a document that shows exactly how much an employee earned during one pay period and how that gross amount became the net deposit hitting their bank account.
It is the receipt for a paycheck. If the paycheck says "you got $1,847.32", the pay stub explains where every dollar of the underlying $2,600 gross came from, and where the missing $752.68 went.
What every pay stub includes
A standard US pay stub has six sections: (1) header — employer name, employer ID, employee name, employee ID or last 4 of SSN, pay period, and pay date; (2) earnings — regular hours, overtime, holiday, bonus, commission, each with rate × hours = amount; (3) pre-tax deductions — 401(k), HSA, section 125 health premiums; (4) taxes — federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), state and sometimes local tax; (5) post-tax deductions — Roth 401(k), garnishments, union dues; and (6) net pay plus year-to-date (YTD) totals for every line above.
Outside the US the format is similar but the labels and required lines change. A UK payslip must show gross, deductions, net, and hours under the Employment Rights Act. A German Lohnabrechnung includes Lohnsteuer, Solidaritätszuschlag, and four separate social insurance lines. A French bulletin de paie is one of the most detailed in the world, with over 30 mandatory items.
Why you need pay stubs
Pay stubs are the primary income proof for renting an apartment (landlords typically ask for the last two or three), applying for a mortgage or auto loan (lenders want 30 days of stubs), signing up for many government benefits, applying for a visa or green card, and disputing a payroll error with your employer or state labor department.
They also let you catch errors: a missing overtime shift, a wrong tax withholding, a benefit deduction you did not authorize. Payroll mistakes happen — the pay stub is how you find them within the pay period, when they are easiest to fix.
Paper vs electronic pay stubs
Federal law does not require an employer to issue a pay stub at all, but 41 US states do. Nine states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee) have no requirement. Of the states that do require one, some allow electronic-only, some require paper, and some require paper if the employee requests it in writing.
In 2025 the norm is electronic: employees access stubs through Workday, ADP, Paychex, or the employer's own portal (like Walmart's OneWalmart or Amazon's A to Z). Paper stubs are rare in large companies but still common in small businesses and at some restaurants and construction firms.