Engage students with compelling opening scenario related to Gross to Net Calculations
Alex's First Real Paystub
This is Alex's first job after finishing university. He crushed the interview, signed a professional offer letter, and pictured a bank account that would finally breathe. Today he opens his payroll portal—and realizes the gulf between the number on his offer letter and the number in his checking account.
Pay Statement
Employee: Alex Chen
Position: Junior automation developer
Status: first full-time job after university
Deposit Date: January 17, 2025
| Earnings / Deductions | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Pay | $2,240.00 | Hours × rate after overtime adjustments |
| Federal income tax | -$315.20 | Withheld using the 2025 single filer bracket and Alex's W-4 election (single, no dependents). |
| Social Security (6.2%) | -$138.88 | 6.2% of $2,240.00. Stops only when annual wages hit $172,800. |
| Medicare (1.45%) | -$32.48 | Medicare applies to every dollar Alex earns, no cap. |
| California income tax | -$89.60 | TechStart uses a simplified 4% withholding for new hires until they build the full state table. |
| 401(k) + health premium | -$66.02 | Alex opted into a 3% retirement contribution and $35 straight from his check for the HMO plan. |
| Total Deductions | -$642.18 | Federal + state taxes, FICA, benefits |
| Net Pay | $1,597.82 | Direct deposit amount |
Employer payroll taxes
$171.36
Sarah must hold this cash in addition to Alex's deposit.
Expectation: Alex expected to save more than $400 because the offer letter said "$28/hour, 40 hours a week".
Reality: He only sees $1,597.82 hit his bank account, and most of it is spoken for by rent and student loans.
After fixed expenses, Alex keeps $180.50 this period.
Here's the problem Sarah faces:
Alex earns $28/hour × 80 hours = $2,240
$90,000/year ÷ 26 pay periods = $3,461.54
$12/hour × 40 + $312 tips = $792
Question: Before Sarah can calculate any deductions, she needs to know the starting number. How does she calculate gross pay for each employee type? What happens if she uses the wrong formula?
Payroll math is emotional math. Alex couldn't plan for student loans, savings, or rent until he understood how every deduction behaved. Sarah needs the same clarity from the employer side—if she misses a single withholding, she risks a payroll crisis and a broken promise to her first employee.
In Lesson 01 you watched Sarah debate whether she could even afford to hire Alex. Today's mission is to decode every line on this paystub so you can predict both Alex's take-home pay and Sarah's true cash requirement two weeks from now.
By the end of this phase you should be able to read a real paystub, describe the difference between gross and net pay in Alex's situation, and explain why an entrepreneur must track employer taxes before hiring.
Keep an eye on the deductions—they foreshadow the tax tables and calculator work you'll build in the next phases.
1. Why is Alex frustrated even though his gross pay for the period was $2,240?
2. What did Alex expect to happen before seeing this paystub?
3. Which deduction should Sarah worry about in addition to Alex's net pay?
Discuss for three minutes:
- How do you think Alex feels opening this paystub? What surprised him most?
- What did he expect would happen when he heard "$28 an hour" during the interview?
- What would you tell Alex so he can plan his budget with confidence on the next pay period?