My First Paycheck
Gross pay, net pay, and all the stuff that disappears in between. Learn to read a realistic fictional paystub and know exactly what you take home.
Join Early Access — Free0 of 6 lessons mastered
— About this course
About 1 hour 30 minutes across 6 lessonsYour first paycheck is exciting and slightly shocking — this course explains every dollar between "you're hired" and the deposit.
What you'll learn
- · Gross vs. net pay — and why every budget should run on net
- · Every line in the deductions block: taxes, FICA, and voluntary benefits
- · Reading a paystub in five minutes, including catching payroll errors
- · How overtime, pay periods, and direct deposit actually work
- · Take-home math for real decisions, from car payments to rent
Skills you'll practice
- · Pay math
- · Document verification
- · Professional communication with payroll
By the end, you can
Verify any paycheck is correct — and use take-home math to decide what you can actually afford.
Gross vs. Net Pay
The number you were hired at and the number that actually hits your account — why they're different.
Taxes and Deductions
Federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare, and the other line items that come out of every check.
Reading a Paystub
Pay periods, hours, rates, and year-to-date — a guided tour of a realistic fictional paystub.
How You Get Paid
Hourly wages, salary, overtime, and direct deposit — the different ways money reaches you.
Take-Home Math
Calculate real take-home pay from different fictional paystubs and pay situations.
Your First Real Paycheck
A raise that never showed up, overtime to verify, and a message to draft to payroll. Handle it like a pro.