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.