Gross pay
What you earn before taxes and other deductions come out.
Practice it
- Worksheet: Read a pay stubWhere your paycheck goes before it reaches you, and how to check the math.
Learn the bigger idea
Related words
- Net pay
- What's left of your paycheck after taxes and other deductions. Also called take-home pay.
- FICA
- Social Security and Medicare taxes taken out of your paycheck. For most workers, they add up to 7.65% of pay.
- W-4
- A form you fill out when you start a job. It tells your employer how much federal income tax to take out of each paycheck.
- 401(k)
- A retirement savings plan you get through a job. Money usually goes in before taxes, and some employers add extra money, called a match.
Test yourself in Word sprint · All money words
Tomorrow’s bell-ringer in your inbox before first period: slides, a quiz and a worksheet. Free.