Wage garnishment

Court-ordered deduction for debts or support.

Definition

Wage garnishment is a court-ordered or government-mandated deduction from an employee's paycheck used to satisfy a debt — typically child support, federal or state tax liens, federal student loan default, or a creditor judgment. Federal law caps most garnishments at 25% of disposable earnings (or the amount above 30× the federal minimum wage, whichever is less); child-support garnishments can reach 50%–65%. Employers must process garnishment orders through payroll, withhold the specified amount each pay period, and remit to the court or agency.

Example

A child-support garnishment order requires the employer to withhold a fixed dollar amount each biweekly check.

Related terms

• Pay period — The recurring window of time covered by a single paycheck.
• Pay frequency — How often paychecks are issued.
• Payday — The calendar day wages are deposited.
• In arrears — Wages paid after the pay period ends.
• Biweekly — Every other week — 26 paychecks per year.
• Semimonthly — Twice per month on fixed dates — 24 paychecks per year.

See also

• Pay schedule calculator — convert salary to per-paycheck amount
• Pay frequencies primer — weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly
• Frequently asked questions