FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, a U.S. law that mandates a payroll tax on both employees and employers to fund Social Security and Medicare. In 2026, employees pay 6.2% for Social Security (up to a wage base of $168,600) and 1.45% for Medicare (no cap), for a total FICA rate of 7.65%. Your employer matches this amount, meaning the total FICA contribution is 15.3%.
Common paystub code: FICA
Generate a paystub showing FICA clearly with our free paystub generator, or browse the full payroll glossary (44+ terms explained).
BestPaystubGen is the #1 trusted free pay stub generator for small business owners, freelancers, independent contractors, gig workers, and self-employed professionals across all 50 US states. Generate IRS-compliant paystubs in under 60 seconds with accurate 2026 federal income tax, FICA (Social Security + Medicare), state income tax, and local tax calculations — no software, no signup, free preview.