Pay stub requirements in Wisconsin

01 — The law

What Wisconsin law requires

1. 01

   Hours, rate and a reason for every deduction

   Employers are required to state clearly on each employee’s paycheck, pay envelope or other accompanying paper the number of hours worked, the rate of pay, and the amount of and reason for each deduction from wages. A reasonable coding system may be used. The only deductions that may be labelled simply as miscellaneous are those the employee requested for personal reasons.

   Wisconsin DWD — Wage payment and collection law →
2. 02

   Direct deposit does not remove the stub

   An employer has the right to require participation in a direct deposit program, and a mandatory program may not cost the employee anything. Even where wages are deposited directly, the employee must still receive a check stub showing the rate of pay, hours worked, and the amount of and reason for each deduction.

   Wisconsin DWD — Wage payment and collection law →
3. 03

   Electronic stubs need free printing

   The Department of Workforce Development allows employers to use electronic pay stubs, provided the employee has access to a printer and is not charged to print the stub each pay period. The condition is about the employee’s ability to keep a copy rather than about the format itself.

   Wisconsin DWD — Wage payment and collection law →
4. 04

   Monthly pay, and never more than 31 days apart

   Chapter 109 requires most Wisconsin employers to pay all wages earned at least monthly, with no longer than 31 days between pay periods, and more frequent schedules are of course allowed. Logging and farm labor may be paid quarterly; part-time firefighters and part-time emergency medical technicians must be paid at regular intervals, at least annually.

   Wisconsin DWD — Wage payment and collection law →
5. 05

   Deductions for damage need permission after the fact

   An employer may deduct for loss, theft, damage or faulty workmanship only where the employee authorises the deduction in writing after the problem occurs and before the deduction is made, or where a representative of the employee has found the employee at fault. Blanket authorisations are not valid, and an unauthorised deduction makes the employer liable for twice the amount.

   Wisconsin DWD — Wage payment and collection law →
6. 06

   $7.25, with a $2.33 tipped rate and a $5.90 opportunity wage

   Wisconsin’s minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Tipped employees must be paid at least $2.33 per hour in wages, and the employer makes up the difference if tips plus wages do not average $7.25 over the pay period. Employees under twenty may be paid an opportunity wage of $5.90 for their first ninety consecutive calendar days of employment.

   Wisconsin DWD — Minimum wage →

02 — Local rates

Local rates above the Wisconsin minimum

03 — What we calculate

What this generator calculates for Wisconsin

State withholding for Wisconsin is calculated from the 2026 figures the state publishes, and our test suite holds those figures against the state's own published calculation rather than against arithmetic of ours.

04 — Questions

Frequently asked questions

What has to appear on a Wisconsin pay stub?

The number of hours worked, the rate of pay, and the amount of and reason for each deduction. Wisconsin lets employers use a reasonable coding system for those reasons, and permits a plain "miscellaneous" label only for deductions you requested yourself for personal reasons.

My wages go straight to my bank. Do I still get a stub in Wisconsin?

Yes. An employer may require direct deposit and may not charge you for a mandatory program, but you must still receive a check stub showing the rate of pay, hours worked, and the amount of and reason for each deduction.

Can my Wisconsin employer put my pay stub online only?

Electronic stubs are allowed provided you have access to a printer and are not charged to print the stub each pay period. If printing costs you money or you have no printer access at work, the arrangement does not meet the department’s condition.

How often must I be paid in Wisconsin?

Most employers must pay all wages earned at least monthly, with no longer than 31 days between pay periods. Logging and farm labor may be paid quarterly, and part-time firefighters and emergency medical technicians at regular intervals of at least once a year.

Can my employer deduct for something I broke?

Only with your written authorisation given after the incident and before the deduction, or where your own representative has determined you were at fault. Blanket authorisations signed in advance are invalid, and a deduction taken any other way makes the employer liable for twice the amount.