How to Make a Self-Employed Pay Stub (2025 Step-By-Step Guide)
If you’re self-employed, you don’t get a W-2 or employer-issued pay stubs. But lenders, landlords, and government programs still expect to see one. That’s why millions of gig workers, contractors, and freelancers create their own pay stubs — and yes, it’s completely legitimate as long as the income is real.
This guide shows you exactly how to make a clean, professional self-employed pay stub in minutes, even if you’ve never done it before.
A self-employed pay stub is a simple document showing your average income, pay period, and business details. You can create one instantly using the SelfEmployedDocs generator — no software or spreadsheets needed.
Why self-employed people need pay stubs
Pay stubs are used every day to verify income for:
- apartment applications
- auto loans
- small personal loans
- government programs
- credit card approvals
Lenders want something formal, simple, and easy to read — not a long explanation of your work history. A pay stub gives them the clear income picture they need.
What a self-employed pay stub should include
A good pay stub includes:
- Your name
- Your business name (if you have one)
- Your address
- Pay period (weekly, biweekly, monthly)
- Gross earnings
- Net earnings (same as gross for most self-employed workers)
You don’t need W-2-style deductions — just clear, truthful numbers.
Step-by-Step: How to Create a Self-Employed Pay Stub
Step 1 — Calculate your average income
Lenders love predictable, believable numbers. The easiest method is:
- Add up your income for the last 2–3 months
- Divide by the number of weeks or months
This gives you your average weekly or monthly income.
Step 2 — Choose your pay period
You can pick:
- weekly
- biweekly
- semi-monthly
- monthly
Most self-employed people choose weekly or monthly.
Step 3 — Enter your business information
If you don’t have a business name, that’s fine — use your legal name. Millions of sole proprietors do this.
Step 4 — Generate your pay stub
You can build one manually in Word or Excel, but it won’t look professional and most people get the formatting wrong.
The fastest option? Use a dedicated generator.
Generate a clean, lender-friendly pay stub in minutes using the SelfEmployedDocs tool. Instant PDF download.
Create My Pay Stub →Step 5 — Make sure your pay stub matches your real income
This is where people mess up. Your pay stub should match the income you actually earn.
If your deposits average $800 a week, don’t put $1,500. If your monthly income is inconsistent, use your average.
Lenders don’t need perfect income — they need believable income.
Examples of jobs that use self-employed pay stubs
- DoorDash / Instacart / Uber / Lyft drivers
- Freelancers (writers, designers, developers)
- Tradespeople (mechanic, plumber, painter, roofer)
- Cleaners, landscapers, handymen
- Barbers, nail techs, beauty workers
- Childcare providers
- Cash-based workers
If you make money independently, a self-employed pay stub is normal and widely accepted.
Tips to make your pay stub look more legitimate
- Use your real income — don’t inflate it
- Use a clean, professional format (no sloppy spreadsheets)
- Match it to your bank deposits or gig app earnings
- Select a realistic pay period
These simple tweaks increase approval odds dramatically.
Should you attach other documents?
Not required, but helpful for big applications:
- an income letter
- bank statements
- gig app summaries
- invoices or 1099s
FAQ: Making a Self-Employed Pay Stub
Ready to create your pay stub? Start on the homepage, visit the pay stub generator, or learn more through our About and Contact pages.