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, the floor and ceiling, and how the number on paper becomes money that actually moves each month.
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% |
One point that surprises many parents: the percentage is a total, not per child. Two children before the court means 25% of net resources covers both — not 25% each. The schedule steps up 5 points per additional child precisely because it's one combined obligation.
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 |
Reading the chart: a parent grossing $6,000/month with two children before the court pays about $1,239/month — roughly $14,900 over a year. The gap between gross pay and the "net" column is the tax math (federal income tax for a single filer, Social Security, and Medicare), which is why two parents with the same salary can still land on slightly different numbers once health-insurance deductions enter the picture.
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
For a single W-2 earner, net resources hit the $11,700 cap at roughly $15,800/month gross (about $190,000 a year) under the 2026 tax method. Earn more than that and the guideline number stops growing — above the cap, a court may order more only based on the child's proven needs. The cap guide covers what changed in 2025 and who it affects.
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. A parent who is intentionally unemployed or underemployed can be treated as earning their full potential, not just minimum wage (§154.066) — see the unemployment guide.
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 net-resources guide walks through the full calculation.
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. Details in the medical support guide.
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.
How the money actually moves
Nearly every Texas order includes an income withholding order: the employer deducts support from each paycheck and sends it to the Texas State Disbursement Unit, which records the payment and forwards it to the receiving parent. That routing matters — payments made informally (cash, apps, "I covered the school fees") may not be credited against the obligation, because the registry record is what a court looks at if arrears are ever disputed. Self-employed parents, who have no employer to withhold, pay the registry directly — the self-employment guide covers that setup.
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. See the 50/50 custody guide.
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. The modification guide explains both routes.
Frequently asked questions
Is child support based on both parents' incomes in Texas?
The guideline percentage applies to the paying parent's net resources only — Texas doesn't run both incomes through a shared formula the way "income shares" states do. The other parent's resources can still matter as a deviation factor under §154.123, but they don't change the baseline arithmetic.
Does overtime or a bonus raise my payment?
Overtime, tips, bonuses, and commissions are all part of net resources. Courts typically look at a representative period of earnings rather than a single unusually high (or low) month, so a one-time spike doesn't set your number forever — but recurring overtime does count.
How much is child support for one child in Texas?
20% of monthly net resources for a standard case: about $356/month at $2,000 gross, $840 at $5,000 gross, $1,554 at $10,000 gross, up to the $2,340 guideline maximum at the cap. Run your own figure through the calculator.
Do the amounts change every year?
Your order doesn't adjust automatically. The cap is reviewed on a six-year cycle (it rose to $11,700 on September 1, 2025), and the tax method updates annually — but an existing order only changes through modification.
When do payments start and stop?
Payments run from the date the order sets until the child turns 18 or graduates high school, whichever comes later — with exceptions for marriage, emancipation, and indefinite support for a disabled child. The end-date guide covers the details.