Understanding My Pay
Your paycheck stub summarizes how your total earnings were distributed. The information on a pay stub includes how much was paid on your behalf in taxes, how much was deducted for benefits, and the total amount that was paid to you after taxes and deductions were taken.
UA employees can access their pay stubs through the Employee Dashboard on myBama. In the Pay Information section of the Employee Dashboard, employees can also find useful information regarding their deduction history, direct deposit information, earnings by date range or position and more.
Key Terms on Pay Stub
Earnings: These are the items you are being paid for. Earnings include items such as: regular hours worked, overtime hours worked, annual leave taken, sick leave taken, holiday pay, etc.
Gross Wages: This is the total amount of earnings before deductions are taken.
Deductions: These are the items being taken out of your pay. Deductions include items such as: income taxes, benefits, retirement, etc. On your pay stub you will see the deductions listed in two groups:
- Deductions before Federal Taxes – these deductions are taken from an employee’s paycheck before any taxes are withheld. Because they are excluded from gross pay for taxation purposes, pretax deductions reduce taxable income and the amount of money owed to the government. These are also called “pre-tax deductions.”
- Deductions after Federal Taxes – these deductions are taken from an employee’s paycheck after all required taxes have been withheld. Since post-tax deductions reduce net pay, rather than gross pay, they don’t lower the individual’s overall tax burden. These are also called “post-tax deductions.”
Net Pay: This is the total amount of earnings after deductions are taken. Some refer to this as the “take home” pay since it is the amount you keep.
Year to Date or YTD: YTD shows how much has been earned or deducted for each earnings / deduction type so far this year. For example, the amount of federal income tax deducted so far this year. The year is based on calendar year.
Pay Period: This is the period of time for which you are being paid. Pay periods are also included on the Payroll Schedules page.
Paycheck Calculator
You can utilize the Paycheck Calculator to obtain an ESTIMATED net pay based on your inputs. This calculator is only to be used as an estimate, your actual take home pay is calculated by the Payroll office and shown on your pay stubs.
Paycheck Calculator
Deduction Codes
When looking at your pay stub, codes are used to define the various items that may be deducted from your pay. You can view a list of all deduction codes and the description through the link below.
Deduction Code Description List
The Employee Dashboard through myBama also has a Deduction History feature found in the Pay Information section. This feature allows you to view the details of each specific deduction type for a date period you define.
For additional questions related to deductions being taken from your paycheck, please contact the Payroll Specialist for your pay frequency (bi-weekly, monthly, etc.) Contact information can be found on the Payroll Contact page.
Earning Codes
When looking at your pay stub, codes are used to define the various reasons or positions you may be receiving compensation. You can view a list of all earning codes and the description through the link below.
The Employee Dashboard through myBama also has a dedicated Earnings section. This section provides your Year-to-Date Earnings as well as a link to view your Earnings By Date Range and Earnings By Position.
If you have questions about the earnings on your paycheck, you should first confirm the hours and rate listed on your pay stub and found in the Earning By Date Range section of the Employee Dashboard are accurate for the pay period. If you believe there is an issue with the hours or rate, please contact your timesheet approver and/or supervisor to determine what information was submitted to Payroll for processing for the pay period. For assistance resolving the issue or any additional questions, please contact the Payroll Specialist for your pay frequency (bi-weekly, monthly, etc.) Contact information can be found on the Payroll Contact page.