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Wage Garnishment Calculator — How Much Can Be Garnished (2026)
Estimate how much of a paycheck can be garnished for four debt types: ordinary creditor judgments, defaulted federal student loans, child support, and IRS tax levies — with state-by-state rules for all 50 states and DC, pay-frequency scaling, and 2026 federal figures.
Creditor garnishment
Federal student loan garnishment
Child support / alimony garnishment
IRS wage levy (Publication 1494, 2026)
Worked example
California wage garnishment calculator — worked example. Say you earn $1,000.00 a week in California with $200.00 of legally required deductions.
- Disposable earnings = $1,000.00 − $200.00 = $800.00.
- California creditor rule: the lesser of 25% of $800.00 ($200.00) or earnings above 40 × the state minimum wage ($16.90/hr → $676.00/week floor): $800.00 − $676.00 = $124.00.
- So $124.00 can be garnished; you keep $676.00.
- Compare: the same paycheck in Texas → $0.00 for ordinary debts (Texas generally prohibits creditor wage garnishment).
How the math works
Ordinary creditor debts (federal baseline, 15 USC §1673)
Garnishment = the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings, or disposable earnings minus 30 × the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hr → $217.50/week). Pay periods longer than a week use multiples: biweekly doubles the figures, monthly multiplies by 52/12. If a state law protects more, the smaller garnishment applies.
State overlays
Four states (Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania) generally prohibit wage garnishment for ordinary debts. Others use their own formulas — Illinois caps at 15% of gross, New York uses CPLR 5231 income-execution bands, California and Colorado peg the floor to the state minimum wage, and Florida exempts head-of-family wages up to $750/week. The full table:
| States | Creditor rule | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas | This state generally prohibits wage garnishment for ordinary consumer debts (chi | State constitution/statute |
| California | California CCP 706.051 | CA CCP §706.051 |
| Colorado | Colorado C.R.S. 13-54.5-102 | CO C.R.S. 13-54.5-102 |
| Delaware | Delaware | 2026 state compilation [S] |
| Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming | Federal CCPA rule | Federal (DOL Fact Sheet #30) |
| Florida | Florida Stat. 222.11 head-of-family | Fla. Stat. §222.11 |
| Hawaii | Hawaii HRS 652-1 (monthly tiers) | 2026 state compilation [S] |
| Illinois | Illinois 735 ILCS 5/12-803 | 735 ILCS 5/12-803 |
| Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia | State rule (40 x federal minimum wage floor) | 2026 state compilation [S] |
| Nevada | State rule (50 x federal minimum wage floor) | 2026 state compilation [S] |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts MGL c.246 s.28 | MGL c.246 §28 |
| Maryland | Maryland Cts. & Jud. Proc. 15-601.1 | 2026 state compilation [S] |
| New York | New York CPLR 5231 | NY CPLR §5231 |
| Washington | Washington RCW 6.27.150 | 2026 state compilation [S] |
[S] = 2026 secondary compilation — verify with your court order. Full per-number sources in the tool documentation.
Notes on common questions
Wondering how much can be garnished from my paycheck? Enter your numbers in the tabs above. This section explains how to calculate wage garnishment step by step for each debt type.
The federal wage garnishment formula for ordinary debts is: garnishable = min(25% of disposable earnings, disposable earnings − 30 × federal minimum wage). Wage garnishment limits by state are summarized in the table above — when a state protects more, the smaller garnishment wins.
What is disposable income for garnishment? Gross pay minus only legally required deductions (taxes, Social Security, Medicare, state unemployment insurance). Use this wage garnishment exemption calculator view to see what stays protected before any order is applied.
Texas wage garnishment rules generally prohibit ordinary creditor garnishment of wages. The New York wage garnishment limit follows CPLR 5231 income-execution bands. The Illinois wage deduction 15 percent cap applies here: Illinois calls the process a wage deduction, and creditors may take at most 15 percent of gross wages (735 ILCS 5/12-803).
The federal student loan wage garnishment 15 percent limit applies to defaulted federal loans (20 USC 1095a). How much of my paycheck can be garnished for child support? 50% if you support another family, 60% if not, plus 5% for arrears over 12 weeks.
This IRS wage garnishment calculator models the levy under IRC 6334: how much can the IRS take from my paycheck? Everything above the IRS levy exempt amount 2026 from Publication 1494, which depends on filing status, dependents, and age/blindness additions.
Frequently asked questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished?
For ordinary debts like credit cards or medical bills, federal law (Title III of the Consumer Credit Protection Act) caps garnishment at the lesser of 25% of your disposable earnings or the amount by which your disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage. With the federal minimum wage at $7.25/hour, that floor is $217.50 per week — if your weekly disposable earnings are $217.50 or less, nothing can be garnished. Your state may protect more; the smaller garnishment always wins. Estimates only; not legal advice; consult an attorney; verify with court order.
How do I calculate wage garnishment?
First compute disposable earnings: gross pay minus only legally required deductions (federal/state/local taxes, Social Security, Medicare, state unemployment insurance). Voluntary deductions like 401(k) or health premiums do not reduce it. Then apply the rule for your debt type and state. Example: $1,000 weekly gross in California with $200 of required deductions gives $800 disposable; the calculator shows $124.00 garnishable and $676.00 kept. Estimates only; not legal advice; consult an attorney; verify with court order.
Can my wages be garnished in Texas?
For ordinary consumer debts, generally no — Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina and Pennsylvania prohibit wage garnishment for most ordinary debts, so the calculator shows $0.00 for a Texas creditor garnishment. Exceptions still apply: child support, taxes and defaulted federal student loans can reach wages in every state, and bank accounts are not protected the same way wages are. Estimates only; not legal advice; consult an attorney; verify with court order.
What is the child support garnishment limit?
Under 15 USC 1673(b), up to 50% of disposable earnings can be garnished for child support if you are supporting another spouse or child, or up to 60% if you are not. An extra 5% can be taken when support payments are more than 12 weeks in arrears (so 55% or 65%). Example: $2,000 of weekly disposable earnings with no other dependents and no arrears → $1,200.00 garnishable. No minimum-wage floor applies to support orders. Estimates only; not legal advice; consult an attorney; verify with court order.
How does federal student loan wage garnishment work?
On a defaulted federal student loan, the Department of Education can garnish up to 15% of your disposable earnings through administrative wage garnishment, without a court judgment (20 USC 1095a). It cannot reduce your pay below 30 times the federal minimum wage per pay period ($217.50/week). Example: $800 of weekly disposable earnings → $120.00 garnishable, since 15% ($120.00) is less than the $582.50 above the floor. Estimates only; not legal advice; consult an attorney; verify with court order.
How does an IRS wage levy work?
The IRS does not use the 25% rule. Under IRC 6334, a portion of your take-home pay is exempt based on IRS Publication 1494 tables for 2026: a base amount for your filing status, plus an amount per dependent, plus an additional amount if you are 65+ or blind. Example: single, paid weekly, $1,000 take-home pay with 2 dependents → exempt amount $513.46, so $486.54 can be levied. The IRS also does not need a court judgment first. Estimates only; not legal advice; consult an attorney; verify with court order.
Do state laws change how much can be garnished?
Yes — when a state law differs from the federal CCPA, the law resulting in the smaller garnishment must be observed. Illinois caps creditor garnishment at the lesser of 15% of gross wages or disposable earnings above 45 times the state minimum wage: $1,000 gross with $250 of deductions → $75.00 garnishable. New York uses its own CPLR 5231 bands: $700 gross with $450 of deductions → $32.50 garnishable. The calculator applies all 50 states plus DC. Estimates only; not legal advice; consult an attorney; verify with court order.
Is this calculator legal advice?
No. This tool gives estimates only; not legal advice; consult an attorney; verify with court order. Garnishment math depends on your exact court order, your state, and which deductions your state treats as legally required. Figures use 2026 federal and state values compiled from public sources (see the source notes); laws change, and only your order and a licensed attorney can tell you what applies to you.
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