A pay stub, also known as a pay slip or earnings statement, is more than just a document—it’s proof of income, compliance, and professionalism. Whether you’re a small business owner, HR manager, or freelancer, issuing clear and accurate pay stubs is essential.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled 20+ free pay stub templates available in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PDF. These templates make it easy to generate professional and detailed pay slips that reflect earnings, deductions, taxes, and more—without needing payroll software.
✔️ What Is a Pay Stub Template?
A pay stub template is a pre-formatted document used to record and communicate payment details to employees. It typically includes:
- Employer and employee information
- Pay period and date
- Gross pay and net pay
- Deductions (taxes, benefits, retirement, etc.)
- Hours worked and hourly rate (if applicable)
- Year-to-date totals
These templates are especially useful for businesses without automated payroll systems, or for generating manual pay slips when needed.
✔️ When Should You Use a Pay Stub?
You should use a pay stub template when:
- You need to issue employee salary or hourly wage records
- You’re a freelancer or contractor providing proof of income
- Your business wants to stay compliant with labor and tax laws
- Employees request physical or digital records for loans, leases, or taxes
- You operate without dedicated payroll software
- You run a startup or small business with only a few employees
A clear pay stub protects both employers and employees—and builds trust.
✔️ Why These 20+ Templates Are the Smart Choice
✅ Available in Word, Excel, and PDF – Choose the format that fits your workflow
✅ Fully customizable – Add company logo, adjust currency, or insert custom fields
✅ Includes automatic calculations (Excel) – Reduce errors and save time
✅ Supports hourly or salaried models – Use for part-time, full-time, or contract workers
✅ Professional and printable – Ideal for sharing as printed copies or PDFs
✅ Free to download and reuse – No subscription, no software required
These templates make pay stub creation quick, consistent, and accurate.
✔️ What’s Inside the Template Collection?
Our 20+ pay stub templates are sorted into flexible formats for different use cases:
📄 Word Templates
- Simple one-page formats for small teams
- Clean design with editable placeholders
- Perfect for one-time manual entries
- Ideal for printable pay slips
📊 Excel Templates
- Built-in formulas for gross/net pay calculations
- Fields for deductions, bonuses, and overtime
- Time card + pay stub combo layouts
- Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly versions
- Multiple employee stubs in one file
📑 PDF Templates
- Ready-to-print formats
- Secure and non-editable options for recordkeeping
- Clean design for sharing with clients or staff
- Compatible with all devices and systems
✔️ How to Use a Pay Stub Template Effectively
- Choose the right format – Word for printing, Excel for editing, PDF for sharing
- Enter company and employee details – Include name, address, ID, and position
- Add pay period and date – Clearly define when the payment applies
- Insert earnings – Hourly rate × hours worked or fixed salary
- Apply deductions – Taxes, health insurance, retirement, etc.
- Calculate net pay – Use Excel formulas or manual math
- Save or print – Distribute digitally or physically
- Store securely – For compliance and tax purposes
A well-formatted pay stub ensures transparency, professionalism, and accuracy.
✔️ Tips for Customizing Your Template
☑️ Add your business logo and contact info
☑️ Include tax ID or EIN if applicable
☑️ Translate fields into your preferred language
☑️ Adjust for your country’s tax structure or currency
☑️ Insert YTD totals for compliance and reporting
☑️ Lock formulas in Excel to prevent accidental edits
☑️ Add bonus, commission, or reimbursement sections
These templates can grow with your company—from startup to scale.
✔️ Who Should Use These Templates?
These templates are ideal for:
☑️ Small business owners and startups issuing payroll manually
☑️ Freelancers and contractors proving income
☑️ HR and admin professionals managing part-time or hourly workers
☑️ Payroll specialists creating stubs before full systems are implemented
☑️ Nonprofits or informal businesses issuing volunteer or stipend payments
☑️ Landlords or lenders who need tenant or borrower income documentation
If you’re not using payroll software yet, these templates fill the gap perfectly.
➡️ Download and Create Professional Pay Stubs Now
Reliable, clear, and professional—your pay stubs should reflect the same quality as your business. With these free templates, you can deliver trusted documents without needing to hire a payroll service.
👉 Download 20+ Free Pay Stub Templates in Word, Excel, and PDF now.
Get organized. Stay compliant. Make a great impression—with every payment.
Because every dollar deserves a clear paper trail.

