Wage garnishment in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania bars ordinary consumer-debt wage garnishment. Figures assume $1,000 gross and $800 disposable earnings in a week, for ordinary consumer debt.
| Limit | Weekly maximum |
|---|---|
| Federal (Title III)15 U.S.C. §1673 | $200 |
| Pennsylvania42 Pa.C.S. §8127(a) | None |
Wages, salaries and commissions are exempt from attachment while in the employer's hands, except for a short list of enumerated proceedings.
The wages, salaries and commissions of individuals shall while in the hands of the employer be exempt from any attachment, execution or other process except upon an action or proceeding:
What this does not cover
- Divorce proceedings under 23 Pa.C.S. Pt. IV.
- Support orders.
- Board for four weeks or less, and certain residential-lease judgments (capped at 10% of net wages per pay period).
- PHEAA student loans.
- Restitution to crime victims, costs, fines or bail judgments entered in a criminal proceeding.
Pennsylvania bars ordinary wage garnishment for consumer debt entirely, so the federal percentage does not come into play. It does NOT bar the exceptions listed below.
Source: 42 Pa.C.S. §8127, read 2026-08-22.
Work out your own Pennsylvania garnishment
Already set to Pennsylvania. Enter your pay and this applies both limits — Pennsylvania’s and the federal one — and shows whichever binds. Disposable earnings are computed for you, so a voluntary deduction cannot quietly shrink the garnishment base.
Model the rest of this paycheck
Pennsylvania garnishment: common questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Pennsylvania?
Wages, salaries and commissions are exempt from attachment while in the employer's hands, except for a short list of enumerated proceedings. Federal law would otherwise allow $200 a week on $800 of disposable earnings, but federal law is a floor of protection rather than a ceiling — where a state protects more, state law governs.
Do these limits cover child support or back taxes in Pennsylvania?
No. Every figure here is for ORDINARY consumer debt. Child support and alimony carry their own, much higher federal limits — 50% to 65% of disposable earnings depending on whether you support another family and how far in arrears you are. Tax levies and bankruptcy orders are separate again, and Pennsylvania carves out further exceptions listed above.
How much can be garnished for a federal student loan in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's limit above does not apply. A defaulted federal student loan can be collected by administrative wage garnishment without a court judgment, "notwithstanding any provision of State law" (31 U.S.C. §3720D). The most it can take is 15% of disposable pay, and never so much that you keep less than 30 times the federal minimum wage — $217.50 a week (34 C.F.R. §34.19). On $800 of disposable earnings a week that is $120. Private student loans are different: they are ordinary consumer debt, need a court judgment first, and follow Pennsylvania's limit.
What counts as disposable earnings?
Under federal law it is gross pay minus deductions REQUIRED by law: income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and legally mandated retirement. A voluntary deduction does not reduce disposable earnings even though it reduces take-home pay — a 401(k), health premium, HSA or union dues do not shrink what can be garnished.
More on Pennsylvania pay and deductions
Pennsylvania paycheck calculator
Pennsylvania's own brackets, deductions and payroll assessments, with the sources behind each.
Where Pennsylvania ranks
What Pennsylvania leaves you against every other state on the same salary, and where a move gains most.
Pennsylvania unemployment benefits
How Pennsylvania works out a weekly benefit, for how long, and the caps either side of it.
Pennsylvania EIT rates and PSD codes
2,542 Pennsylvania municipalities levy an earned income tax, across 69 Act 32 collection districts.