Texas keeps child support refreshingly simple: a fixed percentage of the paying parent's monthly net resources, set by how many children are before the court. Here's the percentage table, real dollar amounts at each income level, and the floor and ceiling.
The percentages
| Children | Standard (net ≥ $1,000) | Low-income (net < $1,000) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20% | 15% |
| 2 | 25% | 20% |
| 3 | 30% | 25% |
| 4 | 35% | 30% |
| 5+ | 40% | 35% |
Dollar amounts by income (2026)
These assume a single W-2 employee, using the Texas Attorney General's 2026 tax method to convert gross wages to net resources. Health-insurance deductions or other income will shift the numbers.
| Gross / mo | Net | 1 child | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $1,781 | $356 | $445 | $534 | $623 | $712 |
| $3,000 | $2,592 | $518 | $648 | $778 | $907 | $1,037 |
| $4,000 | $3,396 | $679 | $849 | $1,019 | $1,188 | $1,358 |
| $5,000 | $4,199 | $840 | $1,050 | $1,260 | $1,470 | $1,680 |
| $6,000 | $4,957 | $991 | $1,239 | $1,487 | $1,735 | $1,983 |
| $8,000 | $6,364 | $1,273 | $1,591 | $1,909 | $2,227 | $2,546 |
| $10,000 | $7,771 | $1,554 | $1,943 | $2,331 | $2,720 | $3,108 |
The maximum (the cap)
Net resources are capped at $11,700/month for guideline purposes (since September 1, 2025). So the most a guideline order reaches is:
- 1 child: $2,340
- 2 children: $2,925
- 3 children: $3,510
- 4 children: $4,095
- 5+ children: $4,680
Above the cap, a court may order more based on the child's proven needs.
The minimum
There's effectively a floor too. If a parent has little or no provable income, Texas presumes earnings equal to federal minimum wage for a 40-hour week (§154.068). At $7.25/hour that's about $1,257/month gross, roughly $1,161 net — so minimum guideline support for one child is around $232/month.
What "net resources" actually means
The percentages apply to net resources, not gross pay. Texas starts with almost all of the paying parent's income — wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, overtime, tips, self-employment income, rental income, and unemployment or disability benefits — then subtracts a specific list of items (Texas Family Code §154.062):
- Federal income tax (figured for a single person claiming one exemption)
- Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes
- State income tax (Texas has none)
- Union dues
- The cost of the child's health and dental insurance premiums
Your rent, car payment, and ordinary living expenses are not deducted — which is why the "net" figure used here is higher than the take-home pay that lands in your bank account.
The percentage drops if you support other children
If the paying parent is legally responsible for other children in a different household, Texas applies a multiple-family adjusted guideline (§154.129) that lowers the percentage. For instance, a parent with two children before the court who also supports one child elsewhere pays less than the full 25%. The more children supported across households, the lower the percentage applied to the case in front of the judge.
Medical and dental support are charged on top
Child support isn't the only obligation. Texas courts also order medical support and dental support — usually by making one parent carry the child's health and dental insurance and splitting any uninsured costs (§154.182). These are ordered in addition to the percentage-based child support, not taken out of it, so the total a paying parent owes is often higher than the guideline number alone.
A full worked example
Say the paying parent earns $5,000/month gross as a W-2 employee, has two children before the court, and pays nothing toward their health insurance:
- Gross $5,000 → net resources after the standard tax method ≈ $4,199
- Two children → 25%
- $4,199 × 25% = $1,050/month
Add the children's insurance premium as a deduction, or an other-children adjustment, and the figure shifts — which is exactly the math the calculator runs for you.
Is the guideline amount final?
The percentages are a rebuttable presumption — the starting point a court is presumed to follow, not an unbreakable rule. A judge can order a different amount if guideline support would be unjust or inappropriate, weighing factors such as the child's special needs, each parent's resources, daycare and travel costs, and how much time each parent has the child (§154.123). Note that equal (50/50) possession does not automatically cancel child support — the higher earner often still pays.
When can the amount be changed?
An existing order can be modified when either (a) three years have passed since the last order and the guideline amount would differ by at least 20% or $100, or (b) there's been a material and substantial change in circumstances — a job loss, a significant raise, a new child, or a change in custody (§156.401). You can ask the Texas Attorney General's Child Support Division to review an order for free rather than hiring a lawyer for a simple review.