Wage Garnishment Calculator
Title III garnishment max from pay with floor and percent rules.
What it does
Federal Title III caps ordinary garnishment at the lesser of two numbers: 25% of disposable earnings or everything past 30 times minimum wage. One branch binds high earners, the other shields low ones.
The tool above takes gross pay with required deductions and period. It returns disposable earnings with the max and the binding rule.
The default $800 weekly with $171.20 required leaves $628.80 disposable and $157.20 garnishable under the 25% cap. A $250 disposable paycheck leaves $32.50 under the floor rule.
Limits follow DOL Fact Sheet 30 with 15 USC 1673 behind it. Both agree on 25%, 30x, and $7.25 used here.
How to use
- Enter gross pay for the period.
- Enter required deductions.
- Pick the pay period.
- Read disposable first.
- Read the max beside it.
- Apply the binding rule.
Formula
- disposable
- Gross minus required withholding.
- cap A
- 25% of disposable branch.
- cap B
- Disposable minus 30x wage branch.
- min wage
- $7.25 federal hourly floor.
Use whole pay period totals, never single weeks inside longer periods. Partial weeks keep the full floor. Tips as earnings count cash plus claimed credit; lump personal-service sums count too.
Worked example
Example: $800 weekly paycheck
Defaults: $800 gross, $171.20 required, weekly ordinary debt.
- Gross: $800.00 weekly.
- Required: 80 + 30 + 61.20 = $171.20.
- Disposable: 800 - 171.20 = $628.80.
- Cap A: 628.80 x 25% = $157.20.
- Floor: 30 x $7.25 = $217.50.
- Cap B: 628.80 - 217.50 = $411.30.
- Lesser: $157.20, 25% binds.
- Tool shows $628.80, $157.20, 25% cap binds.
Reference table
| Period | Floor | 25% binds past |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | $217.50 | $290.00 |
| Biweekly | $435.00 | $580.00 |
| Semimonthly | $471.25 | $628.33 |
| Monthly | $942.50 | $1,256.66 |
Limits
- Ordinary debts only; support/tax differ.
- State lower caps control.
- Lump sums have own timing.
- Tips and credits need care.
Common mistakes
- Subtracting voluntary deductions.
- Using gross instead of disposable.
- Splitting biweekly into weeks.
- Ignoring state protections.
- Forgetting support exceptions.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
Biweekly $600 gross, $100 required?
Floor $435: cap B 500-435 = $65 beats 25% ($125).
$300 weekly, $50 required?
$250 weekly disposable: cap A $62.50, cap B $32.50, floor binds.
$1,100 weekly, $100 required?
$1,000 disposable: 25% ($250) beats floor math ($782.50).
Questions
What counts as disposable earnings?
Gross minus required-by-law withholding: taxes, Social Security, Medicare, state jobless tax. Voluntary items never reduce it.
What is the Title III maximum?
Lesser of 25% of disposable or disposable minus 30x minimum wage ($217.50 weekly).
What if pay sits under the floor?
Nothing for ordinary debts under $217.50 weekly. Support, tax, and bankruptcy debts differ.
What about child support orders?
50% supporting another household, 60% otherwise, plus 5% on 12+ week arrears.
How do other pay periods scale?
Biweekly $435, semimonthly $471.25, monthly $942.50, each with doubled 25% math.
Can states protect more?
Yes: the lower state cap controls whenever it garnishes less.