Federal Garnishment Calculator
Estimate the maximum wage garnishment allowed under common federal rules for ordinary consumer debts, child support, and federal student loan administrative wage garnishment. Enter your pay details to calculate disposable earnings, protected income, and the estimated amount that may be withheld from each paycheck.
Enter your pay information
This calculator estimates federal limits only. State law, multiple garnishments, bankruptcy, tax levies, and court-specific orders can change the actual amount withheld.
Your estimate will appear here
Enter your pay details and select the debt type, then click Calculate Garnishment to see the estimated maximum withholding, protected earnings, and take-home pay after garnishment.
How a federal garnishment calculator works
A federal garnishment calculator estimates how much of a worker’s paycheck may legally be withheld under federal wage garnishment rules. In most situations, the starting point is disposable earnings, not gross pay. Disposable earnings generally mean the amount left after deductions that are required by law, such as federal income tax withholding, state and local taxes where applicable, Social Security, Medicare, and other deductions that are legally mandatory. Voluntary deductions, such as health insurance selected by the employee, charitable contributions, retirement plan contributions elected by the employee, union dues, or wage assignments, are usually not subtracted when determining disposable earnings for federal garnishment purposes.
The major federal rule for ordinary debts comes from the Consumer Credit Protection Act, often shortened to CCPA. Under this framework, the amount garnished for ordinary judgment debts is limited to the lesser of two numbers:
- 25% of disposable earnings for the pay period, or
- The amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage.
Because the federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, the weekly protected floor under the CCPA is $217.50. That protected amount changes depending on pay frequency. For a biweekly paycheck, the commonly used equivalent is $435.00. For a semi-monthly pay period, it is about $471.25, and for a monthly pay period, it is about $942.50. A good federal garnishment calculator applies the correct threshold based on the worker’s pay schedule.
Key idea: the federal rule protects a minimum portion of earnings before ordinary creditors can garnish wages. The worker can only be garnished up to the lower of the 25% cap or the amount above the federally protected floor.
However, not all garnishments follow the same percentage. Child support, alimony, and federal student loan administrative wage garnishment use different federal caps. This is why a calculator must ask what kind of debt is involved. A paycheck subject to an ordinary consumer debt judgment is treated differently from a paycheck subject to a child support order or a federal student loan collection action.
Federal garnishment limits by debt type
The table below summarizes the most widely cited federal limits. These are the baseline federal rules many employers, payroll teams, and workers use when estimating withholding. They are not a substitute for a court order, agency notice, payroll compliance review, or legal advice, but they are a reliable starting point.
| Debt type | Federal cap | How the cap is applied | Important notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary judgment debt | Up to 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount above 30x the federal minimum wage, whichever is less | Based on CCPA wage protections | Many consumer debts fall here, including some civil judgments for unpaid bills or credit obligations. |
| Child support or alimony | 50% if supporting another spouse or child, 60% if not; add 5 percentage points if more than 12 weeks in arrears | Calculated as a percentage of disposable earnings | This means the cap can rise to 55% or 65% depending on the facts. |
| Federal student loan administrative wage garnishment | Up to 15% of disposable earnings | Generally limited so the employee is left with at least 30x the federal minimum wage for the relevant pay period | Federal student loan collections can proceed administratively without a standard court judgment. |
These figures are useful because they show that the phrase “federal garnishment calculator” does not refer to just one formula. For ordinary debts, the 25% cap is important, but the protected floor based on 30 times the federal minimum wage can reduce the actual amount below 25%. For child support, the percentages are much higher because the law prioritizes family support obligations. For federal student loans, the administrative garnishment cap is lower than the ordinary debt cap, but it still requires careful calculation using disposable earnings.
Protected earnings thresholds by pay frequency
Because workers are paid on different schedules, it helps to compare the federal protected floor across common pay frequencies. The figures below are based on the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour and the standard protection of 30 times that wage for ordinary debt calculations.
| Pay frequency | Protected amount formula | Protected earnings threshold | Example use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 30 x $7.25 x 1 | $217.50 | If disposable earnings are $300 weekly, the amount above the threshold is $82.50, so the garnishment could be less than the 25% cap. |
| Biweekly | 30 x $7.25 x 2 | $435.00 | If disposable earnings are $1,200 biweekly, 25% is $300, but the amount above the threshold is $765, so the cap remains $300. |
| Semi-monthly | 30 x $7.25 x (52/24) | $471.25 | Used for paydays that occur twice per month, such as the 15th and the last day of the month. |
| Monthly | 30 x $7.25 x (52/12) | $942.50 | Helpful for monthly payroll, pensions, and some salaried payment schedules. |
This table also explains why workers with lower earnings sometimes see no garnishment at all for an ordinary debt. If disposable earnings do not rise above the federally protected threshold, there may be no room for withholding under the CCPA rule. That is one of the most important reasons to use an accurate calculator rather than assuming every judgment automatically leads to a 25% deduction.
Step-by-step example of an ordinary debt garnishment
Suppose a worker is paid biweekly and earns $1,500 gross for the pay period. Assume legally required deductions total $300. That leaves $1,200 in disposable earnings. For an ordinary debt:
- Calculate 25% of disposable earnings: 25% of $1,200 = $300.
- Find the biweekly protected floor: $435.00.
- Calculate the amount above the protected floor: $1,200 – $435 = $765.
- Take the lesser of the two values: lesser of $300 and $765 = $300.
In this example, the estimated maximum garnishment is $300 for the biweekly paycheck. After garnishment, the worker would take home about $900 from disposable earnings for that pay period, before any voluntary deductions that may still come out through payroll.
Now imagine the same worker had only $500 in disposable earnings biweekly. Then 25% would be $125, but the amount above the protected floor would be $65. The lesser amount is $65, so the estimated garnishment would be $65, not $125. This is exactly the kind of nuance that a federal garnishment calculator should catch.
How child support garnishment is different
Child support and alimony garnishments follow separate federal percentage caps because support obligations are treated differently from ordinary consumer debts. The basic federal percentages are:
- 50% of disposable earnings if the worker is supporting another spouse or child.
- 60% if the worker is not supporting another spouse or child.
- Add 5 percentage points if the support payments are more than 12 weeks in arrears.
That means the effective caps can become 55% or 65%. For many families, that is a dramatic difference from ordinary debt garnishment. If a worker has $1,200 in disposable earnings and is not supporting another spouse or child, the child support cap could be as high as $720. If the worker is over 12 weeks behind, it could increase to $780.
A calculator helps by converting these percentages into real paycheck numbers. But because support orders can involve multiple children, state-specific procedures, arrears, and allocation rules, the actual withholding notice sent to an employer may contain details that go beyond the simple federal cap. The calculator is best used as a budgeting and planning tool, not as a replacement for the official order.
Federal student loan administrative wage garnishment
Federal student loan collections can use administrative wage garnishment, often called AWG. In general, the federal government may garnish up to 15% of disposable pay without first obtaining a standard court judgment. However, the employee must usually be left with at least an amount equivalent to 30 times the federal minimum wage for the applicable pay period. That means the actual garnishment is typically the lesser of:
- 15% of disposable earnings, or
- The amount by which disposable earnings exceed the protected minimum threshold.
This makes student loan garnishment somewhat similar to the ordinary debt formula, but with a 15% ceiling instead of 25%. For a worker with $1,200 in disposable earnings on a biweekly schedule, 15% is $180. Because the amount above the protected biweekly floor of $435 is $765, the garnishment would generally be capped at $180. If disposable earnings were closer to the threshold, the protected floor could reduce the amount below the 15% figure.
Why state law still matters
Even though this is a federal garnishment calculator, state law can be very important. Some states provide stronger wage protections than federal law, meaning less of a paycheck may be garnished. Employers often must comply with whichever rule is more protective of the employee. States may also have their own procedural requirements for service, exemptions, debtor notices, and how multiple garnishments are prioritized.
For example, state law may limit garnishment to a lower percentage than federal law, may prohibit garnishment for certain debt categories, or may protect more income based on local minimum wage or head-of-household rules. The calculator on this page is designed to estimate common federal caps, but users should still compare the result against their state’s rules or ask payroll, legal counsel, or a qualified advisor to review the withholding notice.
Common mistakes people make when estimating garnishment
- Using gross pay instead of disposable earnings. This is probably the most common error and can significantly overstate the garnishment amount.
- Subtracting voluntary deductions. Voluntary items often do not reduce disposable earnings for garnishment calculations.
- Applying the wrong debt type. Child support, ordinary debts, and federal student loans do not use the same federal percentages.
- Ignoring pay frequency. The protected threshold changes for weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, and monthly payroll.
- Forgetting state law. State protections may be stronger than federal law.
- Assuming one order is the whole story. Multiple orders, tax levies, bankruptcy stays, and prior garnishments can affect what an employer can withhold.
If you are an employee, these mistakes can cause unnecessary anxiety or budgeting errors. If you are an employer or payroll professional, they can create compliance exposure. A careful calculator helps reduce both problems by making the federal formulas transparent.
How to use this calculator effectively
- Enter the gross amount for one paycheck.
- Enter only deductions required by law to estimate disposable earnings accurately.
- Select the correct pay frequency.
- Choose the correct debt type.
- If the debt is child support or alimony, indicate whether the worker supports another spouse or child and whether arrears exceed 12 weeks.
- Review the protected earnings, maximum garnishment, and post-garnishment take-home estimate.
For budgeting, the most useful figures are usually the estimated garnishment amount and the remaining disposable earnings after garnishment. These can help workers understand what their paycheck may look like while the garnishment is active. Employers and HR teams often use the same figures as a quick validation check before processing a payroll deduction order, although the official legal documents always control.
Authoritative resources for federal garnishment rules
If you want to verify the underlying law and agency guidance, these official sources are a strong place to start:
- U.S. Department of Labor: Wage Garnishment Under the Consumer Credit Protection Act
- Federal Student Aid: Administrative Wage Garnishment
- IRS: Federal Wage Levy Information
These sources are useful because they explain the differences between ordinary garnishments, federal student loan collection, and tax collection. Tax levies, in particular, have separate rules and are not calculated the same way as the ordinary debt formula used in this tool.
Final thoughts
A federal garnishment calculator is most valuable when it translates legal rules into plain, paycheck-level numbers. The law can sound abstract until you see how disposable earnings, protected income, and garnishment caps interact on a real pay stub. By selecting the debt type and entering a realistic estimate of mandatory deductions, you can get a clearer picture of what a garnishment may mean for cash flow, payroll planning, and monthly budgeting.
Still, any estimate has limits. Official orders, state law, local procedures, and the details of a worker’s payroll profile can all change the final withholding amount. Use this calculator as a practical starting point, and then confirm the result against the official notice or with a payroll or legal professional if the numbers matter for compliance or a major financial decision.