Pay Stub Abbreviations Explained

Updated October 2026 · Uses 2026 tax figures

Pay stubs are full of short codes. This guide explains each common abbreviation, what it pays for and how much it usually takes, using 2026 rates.

Every common pay stub abbreviation

Gross pay

Gross earningsEverything you earned this period before any taxes or deductions.

Net pay

Take-home payWhat is left after every tax and deduction. This is the amount deposited in your bank.

YTD

Year to dateRunning totals since January 1. YTD figures are what end up on your W-2.

FITW, FIT, FWT, Fed WH

Federal income tax withholdingFederal income tax taken out based on the W-4 you gave your employer.

FICA

Federal Insurance Contributions ActSocial Security plus Medicare: 7.65% of most wages. Some stubs show FICA as one line, others split it into OASDI and Medicare.

OASDI, SS, Soc Sec

Old-Age, Survivors and Disability InsuranceThis is Social Security tax: 6.2% of your wages until you have earned $184,500 in 2026, then it stops for the rest of the year.

MED, MEDI, Medicare, HI

Medicare (hospital insurance)1.45% of all wages, plus an extra 0.9% on wages over $200,000.

SIT, SITW, ST

State income tax withholdingYour state's income tax. It is blank or $0 in states with no income tax, such as Texas and Florida.

LIT, Local, City, SD, EIT

Local income taxCity, county or school district income tax, common in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland and New York City.

SDI, CASDI, NY DBL

State disability insuranceA state program that replaces part of your pay if you cannot work because of illness or injury. Employees pay it in California, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii and Rhode Island.

PFL, FLI, PFML, FAMLI

Paid family (and medical) leaveState paid-leave insurance. Employees contribute in states such as New York, Washington, Massachusetts and Colorado.

SUI, SUTA, UI

State unemployment insuranceUsually paid only by employers, but employees also pay a small share in Alaska, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

401K, 403B, 457

Pre-tax retirement contributionsMoney you put into a workplace retirement plan. Traditional contributions lower your federal income tax but not Social Security or Medicare.

ROTH, R401K

Roth retirement contributionsRetirement savings taken out after tax. They do not lower this year's tax, but qualified withdrawals later are tax-free.

S125, CAFE, Sec 125

Section 125 cafeteria planPre-tax health, dental and vision premiums. They lower income tax and usually Social Security and Medicare too.

HSA, FSA, DCFSA

Health savings account, flexible spending account, dependent care FSAPre-tax accounts for medical or child care costs.

GTL

Group term life insuranceThe value of employer-paid life insurance coverage above $50,000. It is not cash: it is added to your taxable wages, so it slightly raises your taxes.

REG, OT, HOL, PTO

Regular, overtime, holiday and paid time off hoursThe types of hours you were paid for this period.

SUPP, BONUS

Supplemental wagesBonuses, commissions and similar pay. Federal tax on these is often withheld at a flat 22%.

RETRO

Retroactive payBack pay owed for an earlier period, for example after a raise that took effect before it was processed.

EE, ER

Employee, employerShows who pays a line. ER amounts, such as the employer's share of Social Security, do not come out of your pay.

Gross pay vs net pay: an example

Here is a real example: a single filer in Texas earning $65,000 a year, paid every two weeks, putting 5% into a 401(k) and paying $80 per paycheck for health insurance.

Texas has no state income tax, so there is no SIT line. Choose your state to see your own pay stub, including state taxes.

Common questions