Paycheck Sizes

Jan 20, 2023

Paychecks come in a variety of dimensions that are not so different from the standard check sizes in business. No matter what purpose, program, or structure you are going for in a paycheck, it is crucial to denote the basic paycheck sizes when it comes to the overall look of this pay document.

Paycheck Sizes Standard

Small Paycheck Size

The first of the two main paycheck sizes recommended by the MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) printing chart, which is the standardized scale for business checks or personal checks, is the small paycheck size. Also known as the minimum paycheck size, this document measures 6 × 2.75 inches or 15.24 × 6.99 centimeters.

Big Paycheck Size

The other notable paycheck option recommended by MICR is the big paycheck size also known as the maximum paycheck size. This type of check measures around 8.75″ × 3.66″ or 22.23 × 9.30 cm and both the small and big paychecks follow the E13B font as the official font style for checks in the US.

Formal Paycheck Document Size

Paychecks can be used for a variety of reasons such as a medical graduate student’s education loan check, a grade teacher’s pay through a school check, or a law firm’s commission through a federal check. Despite its purpose, there is a formal paycheck document size for general use measuring 8.5″ × 11″ or 21.59 × 27.94 cm aka the US letter size.

Paycheck Sizes for Print

Payroll Paycheck Size

Payroll paychecks or checks serve as the detailed outline of an employee’s working salary or hourly wage, and these are generally prepared by the accounting staff or company human resources (HR). This type of paycheck as a whole covers a parameter of 9 3/16 × 13 inches or 233.36 × 330.2 millimeters.

Paycheck Stub Size

An ideal bank or job paycheck can be measured as small as a stub or receipt while others simply attach a paystub abreast a paycheck. As long as the income, compensation, or revenue amount and the rest of the check details are laid out in the stub, expect the paycheck stub size to measure either 3 1/8″ × 7″ or 3 1/8″ × 6″ (79.375 × 177.8 mm or 79.375 × 152.4 mm).

Paycheck Document Size

Paychecks as formal documents are expected to be bigger in size, especially if they are used for different reasons such as proof of wages, liquidity agreements, software data surveys, or corporate service reports. Your only reference for paycheck document sizes are the standard paper sizes which are the letter (8.5″ × 11″ or 215.9 × 279.4 mm), A4 (8.3″ × 11.7″ or 210 × 297 mm), and legal (8.5″ × 14″ or 216 × 356 mm) document measurements.

Paycheck Sizes for MS Word

You can freely draft paychecks of any custom size in Microsoft Word whether you go for the small paycheck (15.24 × 6.99 cm), big paycheck (22.23 × 9.30 cm), or formal paycheck document size (21.59 × 27.94 cm). However, it is highly recommended to create your tabulation, along with a calculator, of the cost breakdown and other payment details of paychecks using spreadsheets from Microsoft Excel. Once you are done calculating the expenses, finalize its presentation as a professional paycheck in MS Word.

Paycheck Sizes for Apple Pages

Apple Pages would be the appropriate program to use for Apple, Mac, or iOS users because this word-processing tool allows you to create paychecks from scratch or simply use ready-made paycheck templates. Same as before, consider the standard paycheck sizes from the minimum paycheck size (152.4 × 69.85 mm), and maximum paycheck size (222.25 × 92.964 mm), down to the formal paycheck document size (215.9 × 279.4 mm). Or, you can set your own custom dimensions as long as each page houses the employer and employee details, percentage of revenue, payment schedule, cost breakdown, and other parts of an average paycheck.

Paycheck Sizes for Google Docs

Always set the correct layout and information for paychecks to avoid further issues and complaints even if you design this whole document in Google Docs according to any of the standard paycheck sizes (6″ × 2.75″, 8.75″ × 3.66″, or 8.5″ × 11″). Google Docs is an online application that functions similarly to MS Word and Apple Pages where you can create as many documents as you like, set personalized sizes per document, and even edit premade paycheck templates for a quick and easy process in making these finance forms. Also, you can decide whether to print the paychecks as solid documents or simply email them as soft copies in PDF or any other file format applicable.

Paycheck Sizes FAQs