Banded Header
Classic grid
Templates
Pay stub templates: pick a design, fill it in once
Every design below holds the same facts: who paid, who was paid, the dates, the pay, what came out and what was left. Choose the look you like; switch any time and your details come with you.
The gallery
Every design, filled in with sample pay
Each card shows the design with sample figures. Open one for a block-by-block guide, or start with it in the builder.
Top picks
Good first choices.
Boxed Rows
Classic grid
Long Statement
Portrait
Detailed Summary
Portrait
Two-Column Summary
Portrait
Classic grid
Full-width info grid, earnings and deductions side by side.
Standard
Classic grid
Banded Header
Top pickClassic grid
Boxed Rows
Top pickClassic grid
Dark Header
Classic grid
Side-by-side ledgers
Two ledgers or panels next to each other, or a main column with a sidebar.
Horizontal Ledger
Side-by-side
Highlight Panel
Side-by-side
Side Rail
Side-by-side
Portrait statements
Reads top to bottom, one full-width table per section.
Business Letter
Portrait
Long Statement
Top pickPortrait
Detailed Summary
Top pickPortrait
Two-Column Summary
Top pickPortrait
Striped Rows
Portrait
Ruled Statement
Portrait
Grid Cells
Portrait
On every design
What a pay stub template should show
These six parts are on every design here. The look changes; the parts don’t.
✓
The business
Name and address, plus the EIN and phone if you have them, and your logo if you add one.
✓
The person paid
Name, address and an employee ID, with only the last four digits of the SSN.
✓
The dates
The pay period and the pay date, the facts that tie the stub to a deposit.
✓
The pay
Hours and rate, or a salary, with overtime on its own line.
✓
What came out
Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax, worked out for you.
✓
Net pay and the year
Take-home pay for this period, and the year’s running totals.
Layout families
Three ways to lay out the same stub
Designs are grouped by how the page is arranged, not by color. To see one filled in and explained line by line, open the sample pay stub.
Classic grid
Grid: facts across the top, money below
Details in a band or a row of boxes across the page, with earnings beside deductions underneath. The look most payroll stubs have. Designs: Standard, Banded Header, Boxed Rows and Dark Header.
Side-by-side ledgers
Side by side: two columns that line up
Two ledgers or panels next to each other, or a main column with a rail. Good when you want to compare as you read. Designs: Horizontal Ledger, Highlight Panel and Side Rail.
Portrait statements
Statement: one section after another
Each part gets its own full-width table, read top to bottom. Calm on paper and easy to scroll on a phone. Designs: Business Letter, Long Statement, Detailed Summary, Two-Column Summary, Striped Rows, Ruled Statement and Grid Cells.
Which one?
Match the design to your pay
Start from how you’re paid. Every design holds the same facts, but some make certain pay easier to read.
Hourly, with overtime
Pick a side-by-side design (Horizontal Ledger, Highlight Panel or Side Rail). Pay lines and deductions share rows, so overtime stays level with the taxes.
One salary line
A grid design (Standard, Banded Header, Boxed Rows or Dark Header) keeps a one-line salary stub short and tidy.
Paid as a contractor
Contractor / 1099 mode works on every design and drops the tax rows. Side Rail also relabels the payee as Contractor.
Asked for year-to-date
Detailed Summary and Two-Column Summary give the year its own column or box.
Mailing stubs
Long Statement places the address for a window envelope.
How it works
How to fill in a pay stub template
Have your pay details to hand first: the pay date, the hours or the salary, and any deductions. Then:
- Pick a design from the gallery, or start in the builder and pick one there.
- Type the business and the person paid: names, addresses, and the EIN and employee ID if you have them.
- Add the pay period, the pay date and how often you’re paid.
- Enter the hours and rate, or the salary. Overtime goes on its own line.
- Check the taxes the builder works out from the pay, filing status and state.
- Read the preview line by line, pick a color, then pay and download the PDF.
Four names, one record
Pay stub, check stub, paycheck stub or earnings statement?
They are one document under four names. Each is the record of a single pay period: what was earned, what was taken out and what was paid. Payroll systems print whichever title they like; the facts don’t change.
That is why every design here fits any of those names. Some print “Earnings Statement” at the top, others “Pay Stub”. Pick the title and the look you prefer.
The rules
Is there a required pay stub format?
Not at the federal level. The Department of Labor’s recordkeeping fact sheet says the Fair Labor Standards Act “requires no particular form for the records”, and that payroll records are kept for at least three years.
States are different. Many states say whether a worker must get a pay statement and what it must list. Employers should check with their state labor office; the Department of Labor keeps a list of them.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping under the FLSA; U.S. Department of Labor, State labor offices.
Online or a file
A template here vs a Word, Excel or blank PDF file
A blank file gives you a layout. A template here gives you the layout and does the sums.
| Blank file | Template here | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes | You work them out | Estimated for you |
| Totals and net pay | You add them up | Added up for you |
| Year to date | One more sum to do | Worked out, and carried forward on a run of stubs |
| Change one number | Redo the math | Everything updates |
| What you get | What you typed | A finished PDF |
| Cost | Usually a free download | Free to preview, paid per stub when you download |
The price
What comes with every design
Every design is the same price: $3.49 a stub. There is no subscription, and the preview is free.
- Included: regular and overtime hours, estimated taxes, year-to-date totals, every color, your logo and contractor mode.
- Optional add-on: Extra earnings & deduction lines. Added to your order only when you use it.
- Optional add-on: Tax & W-4 withholding edits. Added to your order only when you use it.
- Optional add-on: Time-off (PTO) lines. Added to your order only when you use it.
Real pay only
A stub shows what you type
PayStubs349 isn’t a payroll service and doesn’t check your figures. Enter pay that was really paid, read the preview, and keep your own pay records next to the stub.
Guides
Guides to choosing and reading a template
How layouts differ, when a template is the right tool, and how to read the finished stub.
What changes between templates, and what stays the same
Layouts differ in style; the pay figures underneath should not.
Generator or template: which should you use?
When a guided builder saves time and when a fixed layout is enough.
How to read earnings, deductions and YTD
What each section of a pay stub shows and how the totals connect.
What information goes on a pay stub
The employer, employee, pay period, earnings and deduction details a stub carries.
Mistakes to check before you download
The errors worth catching in the preview, before the PDF is final.
FAQ
Pay stub template questions, answered
Are the pay stub templates free?
Looking is free: every design and the live preview cost nothing. You pay only when you download a stub, and there is no subscription.
Can I get a blank pay stub template?
No. There are no blank files here. You fill the design in online and get a finished PDF with the totals done. If you want a form to fill in by hand, this isn’t it.
Can I download a template as Word, Excel or Google Docs?
No. The finished stub is a PDF. You type your details into the builder, check the preview, and download the PDF.
Do all the designs cost the same?
Yes. Every design is $3.49 a stub, and every color is included.
Can I change the design after I fill it in?
Yes. Your details stay in the builder when you switch, so you can compare designs with your own numbers.
Which design is best for a 1099 contractor?
Contractor mode works on every design. Side Rail is contractor-ready: the payee heading reads Contractor.
Does the template work out the taxes?
Yes. Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax are estimated from the pay, how often you’re paid, the filing status and the state. Typing your own amounts is the Tax & W-4 withholding edits add-on.
Can I make several stubs in the same design?
Yes. The multi-stub builder makes consecutive pay periods in one design and carries the year-to-date totals forward.
Is a check stub template different from a pay stub template?
No. Check stub, pay stub, paycheck stub and earnings statement all name the same record of one pay period. Every design here works for any of them.
Pick a design and start
Your details carry over if you change designs.
More PayStubs349 Resources
Helpful pages for creating paystubs, choosing templates, and getting support.
Online Paystub Generator
Create, preview, edit, and download a professional paystub PDF.
Pay Stub Templates
Compare every pay stub template and choose a layout.
Sample Pay Stub
See a filled-in pay stub example with each section explained.
Contact Support
Get help with downloads, emails, refunds, payments, or account access.