Wage Garnishment Calculator

Federal Wage Garnishment Limits (Title III)

Title III of the Consumer Credit Protection Act caps consumer debt garnishment at the LESSER of: (1) 25% of disposable earnings, OR (2) the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30 × federal minimum wage per week ($217.50/week at $7.25/hour). Disposable earnings = gross wages minus legally required deductions (federal/state taxes, Social Security, Medicare, unemployment).

Child Support and Alimony Garnishment

Higher limits than consumer debt: 50% of disposable earnings if you're supporting another spouse/child, 60% if not. Additional 5% for arrears over 12 weeks. Child support garnishment takes priority over almost all other garnishments. States may set lower limits — federal is the maximum cap.

IRS Wage Levy (Different Math)

IRS doesn't use the 25% rule. Instead, IRS uses Publication 1494 tables based on filing status, dependents, and pay period. Standard exemption typically leaves you with ~$200-500/week to live on regardless of income — the rest goes to the IRS. Very aggressive. File for installment agreement or Offer in Compromise to release the levy.

State Garnishment Protection Varies

Some states ban or severely limit consumer debt garnishment: Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina — generally prohibit wage garnishment for most consumer debts (still allow child support, taxes, student loans). Other states (CA, NY) follow federal 25% rule. Check your state law — protections can save thousands.

Sources: 15 USC §1671-1677 (Title III CCPA), IRS Publication 1494, state garnishment statutes. Last updated: 9 July 2026.

State-by-State Wage Garnishment Limits — Where You Live Changes the Math

Federal Title III is a ceiling, not a floor — states can (and many do) impose stricter limits or ban consumer-debt garnishment entirely. Per the US Department of Labor state garnishment law summary, here are the four states that broadly prohibit garnishment for most consumer debts (still allow child support, taxes, and federal student loans):

• Texas — Texas Constitution Art. XVI §28 prohibits garnishment of current wages for consumer debt. Only court-ordered child support, spousal maintenance, student loans, and federal taxes can reach Texas wages. The strictest state protection in the US.
• Pennsylvania — 42 Pa. C.S. §8127 prohibits consumer-debt garnishment with narrow exceptions (back rent, divorce judgments, taxes). Pennsylvania is the second-strongest protection state.
• North Carolina — General Statute §1-362 prohibits garnishment of earnings for most debts. NC creditors must rely on bank-account attachment after wages have been deposited (different rules apply).
• South Carolina — Similar to NC: prohibits consumer-debt wage garnishment but allows child support, taxes, and federal student loans via § 15-39-410.

The 46 other states broadly follow federal Title III (25% / 30× minimum-wage formula), but with state-specific tweaks. Examples worth knowing:

• California — 25% federal cap applies, BUT the threshold is 40× state minimum wage (much higher than federal). At California's 2026 state minimum of $16.50/hour, the threshold is $660/week — meaning many CA workers below ~$880/week are fully protected from consumer-debt garnishment even though federal Title III would allow garnishment.
• New York — 10% of gross OR 25% of disposable, whichever is less. The 10%-of-gross cap is more protective for lower earners than the federal formula.
• Massachusetts — exempts the first $750/week of disposable from garnishment (highest weekly exemption in the country except prohibition states).
• Illinois — 15% of gross OR 45× federal minimum wage threshold. Lower percentage cap than federal.

Before signing a settlement or letting a default judgment proceed, check your state's specific statute — many debtors who think they're stuck under the federal 25% formula are actually fully protected under state law. Free state-specific lookup tools and legal-aid resources are listed on the CFPB wage garnishment Q&A page.

Wage Garnishment Calculation Example: $1,000/Week Gross

Worked example for a typical wage-garnishment scenario under federal Title III rules. Default inputs: gross weekly earnings $1,000, required deductions (taxes + FICA) $250, consumer-debt garnishment:

1. Disposable earnings: $1,000 − $250 = $750/week. This is the base for Title III calculations under US DOL Wage Garnishment Title III rules.
2. 25% cap: $750 × 25% = $187.50.
3. 30× federal minimum wage threshold: 30 × $7.25 = $217.50. Excess over threshold = $750 − $217.50 = $532.50.
4. Federal max (LESSER of 25% or excess): min($187.50, $532.50) = $187.50/week. Annual: $9,750/year.
5. If child support (supporting another family): 50% of disposable = $375/week. Annual: $19,500/year.
6. If child support (alone, 12+ weeks arrears): 65% of disposable = $487.50/week. Annual: $25,350/year.
7. If federal student loan: 15% of disposable = $112.50/week. Annual: $5,850/year.

IRS levy comparison: Different rules — IRS Publication 1494 uses filing status + dependents tables to determine a fixed weekly exempt amount. A single filer with 0 dependents in 2026 keeps roughly $251/week ($13,050/year); the rest of the disposable earnings goes to the IRS. That can be 60-70% of disposable for a $1,000/week earner — far more aggressive than the 25% consumer cap. Resolve IRS levies via Installment Agreement (Form 9465) or Offer in Compromise (Form 656) — not via Title III protections.

Wage Garnishment Priority Order When Multiple Creditors Attach

When multiple garnishment orders hit the same paycheck, federal and state law determine which creditor gets paid first — not the arrival order at your employer's payroll department. Per 15 USC §1673 and DoL enforcement guidance, the priority stack from top to bottom is: (1) Child support and alimony (up to 50-65% of disposable, superior to all other creditors regardless of order date); (2) IRS federal tax levies (uses IRS Pub 1494 exempt-amount tables, not the 25% consumer cap); (3) State tax levies (varies by state code); (4) Federal student loan Administrative Wage Garnishment (15% of disposable, no court order needed); (5) Consumer creditor garnishments (first-in-time-first-in-right within the 25% federal cap, or state cap if lower). Total combined deductions cannot legally exceed the highest applicable cap for the priority creditor — a child support order at 50% blocks a consumer creditor from garnishing anything until the child support obligation is fully satisfied. Employers who process out-of-priority garnishments face liability under state garnishment procedure statutes. If you receive multiple orders, request a copy of each and confirm the payroll department is applying priority order under Department of Labor Wage Garnishment guidance.

Updated 2026-07-17. Source: 15 USC §1673 (CCPA Title III) + DoL Wage Garnishment guidance + IRS Publication 1494.

Wage Garnishment Calculator — How to Stop or Reduce Ongoing Garnishment

If a garnishment is already active, the maximum-cap number this calculator shows is the ceiling — not necessarily what you have to pay. Real reduction options under federal and state law: (1) Claim of exemption — file with the court within 10-20 days of receipt (state-specific) claiming statutory exemptions (head-of-household, disability, low income). Roughly 60% of exemption claims succeed at reducing or halting garnishment per CFPB data. (2) Bankruptcy stay — Chapter 7 or 13 filing triggers an automatic stay under 11 USC §362, halting garnishment the moment the petition is filed. Chapter 13 restructures debts over 3-5 years. (3) Direct settlement — offer 20-40% of the debt as a lump sum to release the garnishment; creditors often accept because collecting via wage garnishment can take years. (4) Federal student-loan rehabilitation — 9 on-time payments removes the loan from default and stops Administrative Wage Garnishment (AWG) at 15%. (5) IRS Currently Not Collectible — if levy causes hardship, file Form 433-F to request CNC status; levy is suspended while your case is reviewed.

Source: 15 USC §1671-1677 (CCPA Title III) + CFPB Wage Garnishment guidance + 11 USC §362 automatic stay. Updated 2026-07-09.

Wage Garnishment Calculator: How the 2026 Federal Minimum Wage Trigger Works

The federal Title III floor — the "no garnishment if disposable earnings are less than 30× federal minimum wage per week" rule — is one of the most misunderstood inputs in any wage garnishment calculator. The federal minimum wage in 2026 remains $7.25/hour, so 30× = $217.50/week of protected disposable earnings under DoL Fact Sheet #30. If your weekly disposable is $217.50 or below, consumer garnishment is $0 regardless of what the court order says. Between $217.50 and $290, the lesser of "disposable minus $217.50" or "25% of disposable" applies. Above $290, the flat 25% cap kicks in. This calculator implements the same three-tier logic — so if you're near minimum wage, entering your real gross pays off with a $0 or near-$0 garnishment answer. State floors (California, New York, Massachusetts, Washington) are higher because state minimum wages are higher; the calculator uses whichever floor produces the smaller garnishment. Updated 2026-07-28.