paycheck

American  

[pey-chek] / ˈpeɪˌtʃɛk /

noun

• paychecks
  plural

1. a bank check given as salary or wages.

2. salary or wages.

   One can stretch the paycheck only just so far.

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Usage

What does paycheck mean? A paycheck is the bank check that is given to an employee by their employer to pay them for their work. Paycheck is also used more generally to refer to the money a person is paid for their work, as in Most of my paycheck goes to paying rent and bills. It can refer to wages (payment based on the time spent working or the number of items worked on) or a salary (a set amount paid over time). A paycheck can be an actual piece of paper (a check) that a person can take to the bank to deposit to their account or exchange for cash. Alternatively, a paycheck can be money a company electronically deposits directly into the employee’s bank account. This is often referred to as a direct deposit. Paychecks are often issued to employees every two weeks, but they can also be given weekly, bimonthly, or monthly. Typically, a paycheck also includes information about the  taxes and deductions that have been taken out of an employee’s pay. Paychecks are the most common method of payment in the U. S. for most part-time and full-time employees. Jobs that involve payments of cash or other compensation are much less common. Example: I’m thankful that my work allows me to earn a steady paycheck, but I dream of starting my own business.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• paychecks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of paycheck

First recorded in 1900–05; pay ¹ + check ¹

Explanation

Your paycheck is the money you get from work, usually every week or two. Country singer Johnny Paycheck’s big hit was “Take This Job and Shove It.” Good luck getting a paycheck after saying that! An employer usually pays employees with regularly scheduled paychecks. Your paycheck represents payment of your wages for the amount of time you worked. A lot of workers have their salaries deposited directly into their bank accounts, so they don't actually get a paper paycheck. You can also use paycheck more generally to mean "income" or "earnings," as in "All that money for health insurance comes right out of my paycheck."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paycheck paychecks

“He was just a gift to anyone he came in contact with. It wasn’t about the paycheck, his attitude was: ‘I get to help someone today.’”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

A paycheck boost is a welcome development for households that have struggled with inflation and stagnant wages.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

It has also provoked debate over whether the mission of higher education — and help paying for it — should be tied to a paycheck after graduation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

A total of 55% are unable to save 10% of their paycheck for retirement due to competing expenses, Schroders said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

His paycheck gave her breathing room to get into a pre-nursing program at Kennedy-King Community College on the South Side.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Most people, however, don’t pay premiums for Medicare Part A because Medicare taxes were deducted from their paychecks for at least 40 quarters of work.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

“What I’m hearing is recognition that the DSA wing is channeling something real—prices keep climbing and paychecks aren’t keeping up.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

In other words, people’s paychecks are now growing faster than home prices.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

That is hitting a U.S. economy that is already grappling with price pressures in other sectors, eating into Americans’ paychecks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Ms. Delamino tell us that she has both our paychecks.

From "Girls Like Us" by Gail Giles