What Goes on a Pennsylvania Pay Stub?
A Pennsylvania pay stub carries the usual lines: federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, and gross versus net pay. What sets it apart is the state tax line, a flat 3.07% no matter the employee's income, plus a separate local Earned Income Tax line that depends on the municipality and school district where the employee lives and works. Pennsylvania law also backs this up directly: the Wage Payment and Collection Law requires employers to provide a statement of earnings and deductions each pay period.
USACalculator built this generator to produce a clean, accurate-looking stub that reflects those Pennsylvania specifics instead of defaulting to a state tax structure that doesn't match how the state actually taxes wages.
Using the Generator
Fill in employer details, employee information, pay period dates, and gross pay. The document preview updates as you type, calculating federal tax, Social Security, and Medicare automatically. Pennsylvania isn't one of the preset states in the dropdown yet, so this tool defaults to the generic "Other" state setting, which means you'll want to manually enter the flat 3.07% state rate and your local Earned Income Tax rate to get an accurate stub. When you're done, use the print button to save it as a PDF. Want to double-check the underlying math first? Run the same numbers through our Pennsylvania Paycheck Calculator.
How the Calculation Works
Federal tax is estimated using a simplified bracket approach, Social Security is calculated at 6.2% of gross pay, and Medicare at 1.45%, matching current federal rates. With the state set to Other, you'll enter Pennsylvania's flat 3.07% rate directly, along with any local EIT rate that applies to your municipality, so the stub reflects the actual combined tax picture rather than an assumed default.
Pennsylvania-Specific Pay Stub Information
A Legal Requirement to Issue Stubs
Unlike states with no specific mandate, Pennsylvania's Wage Payment and Collection Law requires employers to provide a statement of earnings and deductions with each paycheck. This is a real legal obligation, not just standard practice, which makes an accurate, itemized stub especially important here.
What a Complete Stub Should Show
A useful Pennsylvania pay stub includes gross pay, hours worked, federal tax, FICA, the flat 3.07% state tax, local Earned Income Tax where it applies, any pre-tax deductions, net pay, and year-to-date totals. Employees rely on this information for loan applications, rental applications, and their own budgeting.
The Flat State Tax Line
Since Pennsylvania charges a flat 3.07% regardless of income, that line should always read the same percentage of gross pay for any employee, unlike stubs from graduated-bracket states where the percentage shifts with income level.
The Local EIT Line
Local Earned Income Tax doesn't have one statewide rate, so a complete Pennsylvania stub needs a separate line for it, generally around 1% combined but varying by municipality and school district. Payroll departments typically already know the correct local rate for each employee's home address.
Why Pennsylvania Residents Use This Generator
Freelancers transitioning to W-2 employment use it to understand what their new stub should look like once state and local tax are added in. Small business owners use it as a quick reference template before setting up formal payroll software. Employees who lost an old stub use it to reconstruct a reasonable record for their own files, then verify the math against our Pennsylvania Paycheck Calculator.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using a generated stub as official proof of income for a mortgage or loan instead of employer-issued documentation.
- Forgetting to update the pay period and YTD fields, which throws off the running totals.
- Leaving the state tax field at a default rate instead of manually entering Pennsylvania's flat 3.07%.
- Skipping the local EIT line entirely, which understates total deductions for most Pennsylvania employees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pennsylvania require employers to provide pay stubs?
Yes. The Wage Payment and Collection Law requires a statement of earnings and deductions each pay period.
What information should a Pennsylvania pay stub include?
Gross pay, hours worked, federal tax, FICA, the flat 3.07% state tax, local EIT where applicable, pre-tax deductions, net pay, and year-to-date totals.
Do Pennsylvania pay stubs need a state tax line?
Yes, showing the flat 3.07% applied to gross wages, plus a separate line for local Earned Income Tax where it applies.
Why isn't Pennsylvania a preset option in this generator?
The tool currently offers a handful of preset states with a broader Other option covering the rest, including Pennsylvania. Selecting Other still produces an accurate stub once you enter the state and local rates manually.
Can I use a generated pay stub for a loan application?
It's useful for personal records, but lenders typically want official documentation from your employer or payroll provider.
Is this pay stub generator legally binding proof of income?
No. It's a calculation and formatting tool, not an official payroll document from an employer.
How often should Pennsylvania pay stubs be issued?
Alongside your regular pay frequency, with a statement of earnings required each pay period under state law.
What's the difference between gross and net pay on a stub?
Gross pay is total earnings before deductions. Net pay is what's left, and actually deposited, after federal tax, FICA, state tax, local EIT, and other deductions.
Do independent contractors in Pennsylvania need pay stubs?
Typically they receive 1099 payment summaries instead, since no tax withholding applies to contractor payments.
What if my employer refuses to give me a pay stub in Pennsylvania?
You can raise the issue with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, since the Wage Payment and Collection Law requires a statement each pay period.
Related Calculators
Verify the underlying math with the Pennsylvania Paycheck Calculator, or explore more free tools at USACalculator.
Sources: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, IRS Publication 15-T. Figures reviewed for 2026. This tool provides estimates for planning and recordkeeping purposes and does not constitute official payroll documentation.