Wage Garnishment Calculator

Pay Period:

Gross Earnings ($):

Deductions

Federal Income Tax ($):

State Tax ($):

Local Tax ($):

Social Security ($):

Medicare ($):

Health Insurance ($):

Garnishment Type:

Disposable Earnings: $0.00

Maximum Garnishment Amount: $0.00

What is Wage Garnishment

Wage garnishment is a legal procedure where a portion of a person’s earnings is withheld by their employer for the payment of a debt. This process occurs when a creditor wins a court judgment against a debtor, requiring the employer to withhold a certain amount from the employee’s paycheck. The garnished wages are then sent directly to the creditor to satisfy the debt.

How to Calculate Your Wage Garnishment Amount

Step 1

Select your pay period frequency from the dropdown menu (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or semi-monthly).

Step 2

Enter your total gross earnings before any deductions are taken out.

Step 3

Input all applicable deductions, including federal income tax, state tax, local tax, Social Security, Medicare, and health insurance premiums.

Step 4

Choose your garnishment type – either regular debt or student loan debt. Student loans have a lower maximum garnishment percentage of 15%, while regular debts can be garnished up to 25%.

Step 5

Review your results, which will show your disposable earnings and the maximum amount that can be legally garnished from your paycheck. The calculator automatically determines the lesser amount between the two federal limits: the amount exceeding 30 times the federal minimum wage, or the percentage limit of your disposable earnings.

Step 6

Examine the detailed explanation provided below the results to understand how your garnishment amount was calculated, including the breakdown of protected earnings and maximum percentage calculations.