Starter advice
The W-2 is why the first check looks weird
HR hands you a W-2 on day one. That form tells payroll how much federal tax to take out. If it is blank, guessed, or copied from an old job, the stub will not match the offer letter — or this calculator.
A simple starting point
- One job, no kids, not married: Step 1 only. Filing status Single. Leave the extra steps empty unless you have a second job.
- Two jobs (or a job plus a serious side hustle that looks like a second wage): use Step 2 so federal tax is not too low. The IRS has a two-earner estimator.
- Kids or dependents: Step 3 is where child credits live. Skipping it can withhold too much. Guessing high can leave you owing.
- Step 4 extra withholding: only if you already know you owe every April and want a little taken each check.
What “gross” and “net” mean on the stub
Gross is the rate times hours (plus OT and differentials). Net is what hits the bank after:
- Social Security 6.2% (up to the yearly wage cap)
- Medicare 1.45%
- Federal income tax from the W-2
- State tax if your state has one (Georgia does)
- Health, 401k, and other benefits if you signed up
The offer was gross. The calculator on the home page is trying to sketch net.
First check is often a short check
If you started Wednesday, you may only get two or three days in that pay period. Uniforms, badges, or a missed timesheet can shrink it too. Wait until the second or third deposit before you lock a budget.
Job plus rideshare
The W-2 job withholds. Lyft / Uber / DoorDash usually do not. That second pile of money is still taxable. A boring habit: move about 25–30% of gig deposits to a separate savings bucket the same day.
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This is general information, not tax advice. The W-2 and Form W-2 instructions on IRS.gov win if anything here disagrees.