Pre-tax retirement savings deducted from your paycheck, reducing your taxable income.
Common paystub code: 401K / ROTH401K
A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan. Contributions are deducted from your paycheck BEFORE income taxes are calculated (pre-tax), which lowers your current taxable income. For 2026, the maximum employee contribution is $23,500 ($31,000 for workers 50+). Many employers offer a "match" — for example, dollar-for-dollar up to 4% — which is essentially free money. Roth 401(k) contributions are made after-tax but grow tax-free.
On a typical US paystub, 401(k) contribution information appears in one of three sections — the earnings summary, the deductions list, or the year-to-date (YTD) totals — depending on the type of item. Understanding where to find it helps you verify accuracy, catch payroll errors, and prepare for tax season or loan applications.
Whether you receive a digital paystub through your employer's payroll system (such as ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, or Paychex) or a traditional paper stub, the information for 401(k) contribution is required by federal labor law to be itemized and accurate. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state-specific wage transparency laws mandate that employees can review and verify each line of their paystub.
Accurate knowledge of 401(k) contribution is essential for several real-world scenarios common to US workers: when applying for an apartment rental (landlords typically require recent paystubs as proof of income), when applying for a car loan or mortgage (lenders verify gross and net pay across multiple paystubs), when filing your annual tax return (IRS Form 1040 reconciles to your year-to-date W-2 or 1099 totals), and when changing jobs (you may need to provide last paystubs to your new employer for benefits eligibility verification).
If you spot an error related to 401(k) contribution on your paystub, US labor law requires your employer to investigate and correct the issue. The American Payroll Association reports that nearly 75% of US workers will experience at least one payroll error during their career, which is why understanding each line item — including 401(k) contribution — is one of the most valuable financial literacy skills you can develop.