Free Massachusetts Pay Stub Generator — Create Accurate MA Pay Stubs Online
Massachusetts runs one of the most educated and highest-paid workforces in the country. That's good for workers. It also means payroll documentation carries more weight here — higher earnings, more withholding lines, and a state-mandated Paid Family and Medical Leave program that adds a deduction most other states don't have at all.
StubCheck's Massachusetts pay stub generator handles state, PFML, and federal calculations automatically. Enter your details, review the numbers, download your document. First one's free — just $3.99 after that, no subscription.
Most state payroll pages look the same — state income tax, FICA, unemployment. Massachusetts has all of that, plus two things worth understanding before you run payroll here.
Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)
Massachusetts requires employers to withhold PFML contributions from employee wages. It's a separate deduction line that appears on MA pay stubs and doesn't exist in most other states. Both employers and employees contribute, though the split depends on company size. For employees, seeing this line on a pay stub for the first time can be confusing — it's not a tax error, it's a state-mandated benefit contribution.
The Massachusetts Millionaires Tax
Starting in 2023, Massachusetts added a 4% surtax on annual income above $1 million. Combined with the standard flat rate, high earners in Massachusetts face a top effective state rate of 9%. For most workers this doesn't apply — but for senior executives, highly compensated professionals, and successful business owners in Boston and Cambridge, it shows up in withholding calculations.
These two items are specific to Massachusetts. They don't appear on Kansas, Ohio, or South Carolina payroll pages because they simply don't exist there.
Boston is genuinely one of the most economically dense cities in the country. Healthcare and life sciences anchor employment across the city and its suburbs — Mass General Brigham, Dana-Farber, and a constellation of biotech companies in Kendall Square and the Route 128 corridor employ tens of thousands of highly compensated workers. Financial services, asset management, and insurance add another significant layer.
Cambridge is in a category of its own. The concentration of research institutions, biotech startups, and technology companies per square mile is unusual even by global standards. Outside the Boston metro, Worcester supports healthcare systems, manufacturing, and higher education. Springfield and western Massachusetts run on healthcare, retail, and manufacturing. Cape Cod and the islands support a large seasonal hospitality workforce with irregular income documentation challenges.
For independent contractors managing multiple clients, having a completed W-9 form for each client keeps year-end reporting organized from the start.
StubCheck's Massachusetts paycheck stub generator works for:
Step 1 — Enter your payroll details
Employee and employer information, pay rate, period dates, deductions including PFML. Massachusetts state and federal calculations run automatically.
Step 2 — Preview and review
Check gross pay, each deduction line including PFML contribution, net pay, and pay dates. Edit anything before downloading — no starting over.
Step 3 — Download your Massachusetts pay stub
Available immediately. Download, print, email, or save for payroll records, rental applications, loan documentation, or tax preparation.
Generate your Massachusetts pay stub here
| Payroll Tax Category | Massachusetts Requirement |
|---|---|
| State Income Tax | Flat Rate — 5% |
| Millionaires Tax Surtax | Additional 4% on income above $1 million |
| Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) | Required employee and employer contributions |
| Local Income Tax | None statewide |
| State Tax Withholding | Required |
| Federal Income Tax | Applicable |
| Social Security Tax | Applicable |
| Medicare Tax | Applicable |
| Additional Medicare Tax | May Apply Above Federal Thresholds |
| State Unemployment Insurance (SUTA) | Employer Responsibility |
| Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) | Employer Responsibility |
| Tax Type | Employee Rate | Employer Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts State Income Tax | 5% flat rate | N/A |
| Millionaires Tax Surtax | 4% on income above $1M | N/A |
| PFML — Family Leave | Portion withheld from wages | Employer contribution varies by size |
| PFML — Medical Leave | Portion withheld from wages | Employer contribution varies by size |
| Federal Income Tax | Varies by W-4 elections | N/A |
| Social Security | 6.2% | 6.2% |
| Medicare | 1.45% | 1.45% |
| Additional Medicare Tax | 0.9% above federal threshold | N/A |
| Federal Unemployment (FUTA) | N/A | Up to 6.0% before credits |
| Massachusetts Unemployment (SUTA) | N/A | Varies by classification |
| Local Income Tax | None | None |
Massachusetts payroll has more moving parts than its flat income tax rate suggests. Verify current PFML rates and contribution splits through the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave and current tax rates through the Massachusetts Department of Revenue before finalizing payroll decisions. Businesses operating across state lines can also reference guides for Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.
Consider a registered nurse at a Boston hospital earning $7,500 per month:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross Pay | $7,500.00 |
| Federal Income Tax (estimated) | $900.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | $465.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | $108.75 |
| MA State Income Tax (5%) | $375.00 |
| PFML Contribution (estimated) | $37.50 |
| Estimated Net Pay | $5,613.75 |
Actual figures vary based on filing status, W-4 elections, employer PFML contribution split, and applicable deductions. The PFML line is specific to Massachusetts — it won't appear on pay stubs from most other states.
An independent contractor providing research support, data analysis, regulatory consulting, or software development services in Cambridge may work across multiple biotech or pharma clients simultaneously. Massachusetts taxes this income at the standard 5% flat rate regardless of how many clients are involved or whether the work is performed remotely.
Organized payroll-style documentation helps Cambridge contractors demonstrate consistent income to lenders and landlords — both competitive situations in the Boston metro housing market — and keeps income records straight for quarterly estimated tax payments. Contractors should also ensure they have a completed 1099-MISC form from each client for year-end filing.
Massachusetts has more mandatory withholding lines than most states. The PFML contribution alone is something employees frequently question when they see it for the first time. Clean, accurate pay stubs reduce those conversations and support compliance.
Yes. Massachusetts uses a flat 5% income tax rate — the same percentage applies regardless of income level, which is simpler than graduated systems in states like Oregon or Ohio. However, income above $1 million is subject to an additional 4% surtax under the Millionaires Tax that took effect in 2023.
PFML stands for Paid Family and Medical Leave. Massachusetts requires employers to withhold contributions from employee wages to fund this state benefit program. It's a mandatory deduction — not a tax error — and it appears on MA pay stubs as a separate line. Both employees and employers contribute, with the split depending on employer size.
It's a 4% surtax on annual income above $1 million, added to the standard 5% flat rate. For most workers it doesn't apply, but for high earners in Boston's financial services, biotech, and executive sectors, it affects withholding calculations significantly.
Yes. StubCheck generates professional Massachusetts pay stubs with automatic state tax, PFML, and federal calculations. Create your first stub free here.
Yes. No payment required upfront. Additional stubs are $3.99 each — no subscription, no monthly fees.
Gross earnings, federal income tax withholding, Massachusetts state income tax at 5%, PFML contribution, Social Security, Medicare, any additional deductions entered, pay period dates, and net pay.
Yes. Independent contractors across Cambridge and the Route 128 corridor use StubCheck regularly to organize income documentation across multiple clients and prepare records for housing applications and quarterly tax filings. A completed W-9 form from each client keeps year-end reporting clean.
Yes. Seasonal hospitality and tourism workers on Cape Cod and the South Shore use StubCheck to document summer earnings for off-season rental applications, loan requests, and income verification.
Three to four years covers most state and federal filing windows and protects against audit exposure.
Yes. Create individual pay stubs for different employees across different pay periods — practical for small Massachusetts businesses running payroll without dedicated software.
Massachusetts payroll has more withholding lines than most states — the PFML contribution alone sets it apart from the majority of state pages on this site. Getting those numbers right and documented properly matters whether you're a Boston hospital administrator, a Cambridge biotech contractor, a Worcester small business owner, or a Cape Cod hospitality worker.
StubCheck handles the Massachusetts flat rate, the PFML calculation, the federal withholding, and the formatting. You handle everything else.
From Boston and Cambridge to Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Quincy, and communities across Massachusetts — StubCheck helps workers and businesses keep payroll records accurate and ready when they're needed.
No oversized subscription. No complicated setup. No delays.