How to use the wage garnishment limit calculator
A creditor with a judgment can reach your paycheck, but federal law caps how much. Enter your disposable earnings, how often you are paid and the type of garnishment to see the maximum that can be taken and what stays with you.
Legal basis — Title III of the Consumer Credit Protection Act limits ordinary garnishment to the lesser of 25 percent of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage for that week (15 U.S.C. 1673(a)); the Department of Labor converts that floor to 60 times for a biweekly period, 65 times for semimonthly and 130 times for monthly (29 C.F.R. 870.10). Support orders have their own caps of 50 or 60 percent, rising to 55 or 65 percent when payments are more than 12 weeks in arrears (15 U.S.C. 1673(b)(2)). Federal student loan administrative wage garnishment is limited to 15 percent of disposable pay (20 U.S.C. 1095a; 34 C.F.R. 34.19). Disposable earnings means pay after legally required deductions. The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2009. Figures current as of September 2026.
States may protect more, and several, including Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina, bar most wage garnishment for consumer debt entirely. The more protective rule wins.
This calculator is for reference only and is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific garnishment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Disposable earnings are gross pay minus deductions required by law, such as federal, state and local taxes, Social Security and Medicare, and mandatory retirement contributions. Voluntary deductions like health insurance premiums, union dues and 401(k) contributions are not subtracted before applying the cap.
No. IRS levies under 26 U.S.C. 6334 and most state tax levies are exempt from the Title III percentage limit and instead leave you a standard-deduction-based exempt amount published in IRS tables. Bankruptcy court orders are likewise outside the ordinary cap.