Use this tool with a teen’s pay stub to connect hours worked with money available to save and spend. It is a budgeting exercise, not a replacement for the employer’s payroll calculation or a tax return.
Show a teen what earnings become after taxes and work costs.
Your entries stay in this browser and are not saved by this tool.
Educational estimate only. This tool does not provide individualized financial, tax, legal, or education-planning advice.
Read the pay period before the amount
Confirm which dates the check covers, hours recorded, and hourly rate. Separate gross earnings from deductions and take-home pay. Compare like periods: a partial first paycheck may be smaller than a later full pay period even when the hourly rate is unchanged.
Separate deductions from work expenses
Payroll deductions appear on the pay stub. Transportation, meals bought at work, and required supplies may be paid separately. Record those costs once; subtracting an expense already included in take-home pay would understate what remains.
Give the first deposit a job
For a hypothetical $180 deposit with $20 of transportation costs, $160 remains before savings and other purchases. Setting aside $40 for a goal would leave $120. These are budgeting amounts, not a tax estimate.
Compare the plan with the actual bank deposit and ask payroll about unexplained differences. Review the next full paycheck before committing to a recurring expense. For ongoing charges, try the Teen Subscription Reality Check.