# Massachusetts — Wage garnishment limits and exempt earnings by state

For Massachusetts, share of earnings that is exempt is 85 per cent of the debtor's gross wages; earnings wholly exempt is 50 times the greater of the federal or the Massachusetts hourly minimum wage; statute is Section 28: Wages and pensions; exemptions; exceptions, verified against its source on 2026-08-30.

- **State:** Massachusetts _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Share of earnings that is exempt:** 85 per cent of the debtor's gross wages _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Earnings wholly exempt:** 50 times the greater of the federal or the Massachusetts hourly minimum wage _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Statute:** Section 28: Wages and pensions; exemptions; exceptions _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> attached for a debt or claim, an amount not exceeding the greater of 85 per cent of the debtor's gross wages or 50 times the greater of the federal or the Massachusetts hourly minimum wage for each week or portion thereof out of the wages then due to the defendant for labor performed or se

## Source

- https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleIV/Chapter246/Section28

Last verified: 2026-08-30. Review by: 2027-02-22.
Part of [Wage garnishment limits and exempt earnings by state](https://referencesource.org/wage-garnishment-exemption-thresholds-by-state/).