What YTD means
Year to date (YTD) is everything you’ve been paid from January 1 to the date on your pay stub. Lenders and landlords often ask for it to check your income.
Two ways to annualize YTD pay
By paychecks: YTD pay ÷ paychecks received × paychecks per year
By days: YTD pay ÷ day of the year × 365
Paychecks are more accurate when you’re paid on a fixed schedule. Example: $48,000 after 19 biweekly paychecks → $48,000 ÷ 19 × 26 = $65,684.
When projections go wrong
- A bonus or overtime early in the year makes the projection too high.
- Starting a new job mid-year makes the days method too low; use paychecks instead.
- A raise mid-year: project from your current paycheck, not the average.
YTD figures on a pay stub
- YTD gross: all pay before deductions since January 1.
- YTD taxes: federal, state, Social Security and Medicare withheld so far.
- YTD net: what has reached your bank account.
Social Security stops for the year once YTD gross passes $184,500 (2026), so high earners see a bigger paycheck late in the year.
Proof of income
Lenders usually take YTD gross from your latest pay stub plus last year’s W-2 and average them. A projection from this calculator is an estimate; the lender’s own method decides.
Example: starting a job mid-year
Someone who starts on July 1 at $60,000 has about $30,000 of YTD pay at the end of December. The days method would project that as $30,000 a year, which is wrong; projecting from paychecks ($30,000 ÷ 13 × 26) gives the correct $60,000.
What lenders do with YTD pay
Mortgage and car lenders usually ask for your latest pay stub and last year’s W-2. They divide year-to-date gross pay by the months worked so far and compare the result with last year. If this year’s figure is lower, they may use the lower one. Overtime and bonuses often need a two-year history before a lender counts them.
Example by calendar days
On June 30 (day 181 of 365) a pay stub shows $31,000 year to date. $31,000 ÷ 181 × 365 = $62,514 projected for the year. If you are paid every two weeks and have received 13 paychecks, the paycheck method gives $31,000 ÷ 13 × 26 = $62,000, usually the better estimate.
To see what the projected salary means after tax, enter it in the take-home pay calculator.
Related calculators
- Pay Period Converter: Annual, monthly, semi-monthly, biweekly, weekly.
- Biweekly Pay Calculator: Your paycheck every two weeks, before and after tax.
- Salary to Hourly Calculator: Annual salary to hourly, weekly and monthly pay.
Questions people ask
Is YTD gross or net?
Pay stubs usually show both. Lenders normally want YTD gross, the amount before taxes and deductions.
Formula checked October 2026 · How we calculate