Pay Stub Abbreviations Decoded: What FWT, FICA, OASDI & More Actually Mean (2026)

Your pay stub looks like alphabet soup. FWT, FICA, OASDI, SWT, YTD — what do all these codes actually mean?

Don't worry. Every one of these abbreviations has a simple explanation. This guide decodes the most common pay stub abbreviations so you can finally understand exactly where your money is going.

Tax Withholding Abbreviations

These are the taxes your employer withholds from your paycheck and sends to the government on your behalf:

FWT / FIT / FITW — Federal Withholding Tax (or Federal Income Tax Withheld). This is the federal income tax taken from your paycheck based on your W-4 form. The amount depends on your income, filing status, and allowances claimed.

SWT / SIT / ST — State Withholding Tax (or State Income Tax). This is your state income tax. Not all states have income tax — if you live in Texas, Florida, or another no-income-tax state, you won't see this deduction.

Local Tax / City Tax — Income tax for your city or local municipality. Only some cities and counties have local income taxes.

FICA Tax Abbreviations

FICA stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It includes two separate taxes:

FICA — If shown as a single line (usually 7.65%), this combines Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%). Some employers show them separately instead.

FICA-SS / SS / Soc Sec — Social Security tax. The rate is 6.2% of your wages up to $184,500 in 2026. This funds retirement, survivor, and disability benefits.

FICA-Med / MED / Medicare — Medicare tax. The rate is 1.45% with no wage cap. This funds healthcare for seniors and people with disabilities.

OASDI — Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance. This is just another name for Social Security tax. OASDI and SS mean the same thing.

Add'l Med / Additional Medicare — The extra 0.9% Medicare tax on wages over $200,000. Only high earners see this deduction.

Earnings Abbreviations

These codes describe the different types of pay you've earned:

REG / Regular — Your standard hourly or salary pay for regular work hours.

OT / Overtime — Pay for hours worked beyond 40 in a week. Usually paid at 1.5x your regular rate (time-and-a-half).

DT / Double Time — Pay at 2x your regular rate, typically for holidays or excessive overtime hours.

Gross Pay — Your total earnings before any deductions. This is the starting point before taxes and other withholdings are taken out.

Net Pay / Take Home — Your final pay after all deductions. This is the amount deposited in your bank account or printed on your check.

YTD / Year-to-Date — The running total of earnings or deductions since January 1 of the current year. Your final YTD figures should match your W-2.

Benefits & Deductions Abbreviations

These codes relate to benefits, insurance, and voluntary deductions:

401(k) / 401K — Contributions to your employer-sponsored retirement plan. These are usually pre-tax, meaning they reduce your taxable income.

Roth 401(k) — After-tax retirement contributions. You pay taxes now but withdraw tax-free in retirement.

HSA — Health Savings Account contributions. Pre-tax money set aside for medical expenses.

FSA — Flexible Spending Account. Pre-tax money for healthcare or dependent care expenses. Use it or lose it by year-end.

DEN / Dental — Dental insurance premium deduction.

VIS / Vision — Vision insurance premium deduction.

MED INS / Health — Health insurance premium. This may be pre-tax or after-tax depending on your plan.

Life / GTL — Life insurance premium. GTL stands for Group Term Life.

LTD / STD — Long-Term Disability or Short-Term Disability insurance premiums.

VOL DED — Voluntary Deductions. Optional deductions you've chosen, like extra life insurance or charitable contributions.

Other Common Abbreviations

PTO — Paid Time Off. Shows your available vacation, sick, or personal time balance.

VAC — Vacation time balance.

SICK — Sick time balance.

Hire Date / DOH — Date of Hire. When you started working for this employer.

Pay Period — The dates covered by this paycheck (e.g., 01/01/2026 – 01/15/2026).

Check Date / Pay Date — The date you receive this payment.

EE — Employee. Used in codes like "OASDI/EE" to indicate the employee portion of a tax.

ER — Employer. Indicates the employer's portion (usually not shown on your stub since it doesn't come from your pay).

How to Read Your Pay Stub

Here's the basic flow of your pay stub:

1. Gross Pay — Your total earnings before anything is taken out
2. Pre-Tax Deductions — 401(k), HSA, health insurance (these reduce taxable income)
3. Taxes — Federal, state, local, FICA (calculated on your taxable income)
4. After-Tax Deductions — Roth 401(k), garnishments, some insurance
5. Net Pay — What's left after all deductions

The difference between Gross Pay and Net Pay is everything that got taken out. Always check that your YTD totals make sense — they should be roughly your current pay period amount multiplied by the number of pay periods so far this year.

Common Mistakes to Watch For

Social Security tax still being withheld after hitting the cap: In 2026, once your YTD earnings exceed $184,500, OASDI/SS should stop being deducted. If it continues, contact payroll.

Medicare tax rate seems too high: If you earn over $200,000, the additional 0.9% Medicare tax kicks in, bringing your rate to 2.35%. This is normal.

Gross pay doesn't match your hourly rate × hours: Check for overtime, bonuses, or other pay types that might be included.

YTD taxes don't match across multiple jobs: Each employer tracks YTD separately. If you have multiple jobs, you may overpay Social Security and need to claim a refund on your tax return.

Decode Your Pay Stub

Now you know what those mysterious codes mean. Take a few minutes to review your next pay stub — you might be surprised what you find.

Want the complete list of 50+ abbreviations? Check out the full guide to pay stub abbreviations with examples and explanations for every code you might see.

Still confused by your pay stub? Upload it to CleanPaystubs and get a clean, formatted report where every deduction is clearly labeled. Your first report is free.

Last updated: February 2026