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Free pay stub templates

Three generator layouts in five colors, each with automatic taxes and a clean PDF, plus Word, Excel and PDF files to fill in yourself.

2026 tax year. How we calculateLast updated September 25, 2026

Generator layouts

PlumBlueGreenNavyBlack and white

Every layout comes in all five colors. Open a layout to preview each color and start the generator with it selected.

Files to fill in yourself

PAY STUB
DOCX

Pay stub template (Word)

Editable .docx with company and employee blocks, earnings and deductions tables and a net pay row. Type over the blanks or paste your own logo.

Download DOCXWord 2010 or later, Google Docs, LibreOffice
PAYROLL
XLSX

Pay stub template with calculator (Excel)

Formulas total the earnings, work out Social Security and Medicare from gross pay, subtract deductions and fill the YTD column from the number of pay days.

Download XLSXExcel 2010 or later, Google Sheets, Numbers
PAY STUB
PDF

Blank pay stub (PDF)

A printable stub with lines for every field. Fill it in by hand for a paper record or attach it to a payroll check.

Download PDFAny PDF viewer, prints on Letter
PAY STUB
Fillable PDF

Fillable pay stub (PDF)

The same layout with form fields. Type into it in Adobe Reader, Preview, Chrome or Edge, then save or print.

Download Fillable PDFAdobe Reader, browser PDF viewers
Faster: let the generator do the math

Federal, Social Security, Medicare and state tax calculated for the 2026 tax year, live preview, clean PDF.

Open the generator

Which pay stub template to use

NeedBest templateWhy
Correct withholding without lookupsAny generator layoutApplies the current federal and state tables.
A familiar stub with many deduction linesClassicStacked tables and a summary bar.
Direct deposit with a check-style recordLong with deposit adviceNon-negotiable advice slip above the stub.
Recurring payroll for one or two peopleExcelFormulas total the lines and carry YTD figures.
Paper record attached to a checkBlank PDFPrints cleanly, fill in by hand.

What every template includes

  • Company name, address and a masked EIN line, with room for a logo.
  • Employee name, address, employee ID and the last four digits of the SSN only.
  • Pay period start and end, pay date and pay frequency.
  • Earnings table with hours, rate, current and year-to-date columns.
  • Taxes and deductions for federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state and local tax, health insurance, retirement and other items.
  • Gross pay, total deductions and a highlighted net pay figure.

Not sure what goes on each line? The pay stub examples page shows four completed stubs with every line explained, and the check stub guide walks through filling one in.

Use only for real payments you made or received. Creating documents with false information may be illegal. Read our acceptable use policy.

Frequently asked questions

Are these pay stub templates really free?
Yes. The three generator layouts and every file download are free with no signup, no watermark and no limit. They are for documenting real payments.
What is the difference between the layouts and the file downloads?
The layouts are used by the online generator, which calculates the taxes and produces a PDF. The Word, Excel and PDF files are for filling in yourself when you already have the figures.
Which template calculates the taxes?
The generator calculates federal, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for the current year in any layout. The Excel file works out Social Security and Medicare and totals the columns; federal and state tax are entered from your records.
Can I edit the Word template in Google Docs?
Yes. Upload the .docx to Google Drive and open it with Docs. The tables and shading carry over.
What is the difference between the blank PDF and the fillable PDF?
The blank PDF is for printing and filling in by hand. The fillable PDF has form fields you can type into on screen before saving or printing.
Do these templates include a watermark?
No. Every download and every generated PDF is a clean document. The only text we add is a small footer line stating that the document records an actual payment.