Texas Paycheck Calculator With Child Support: Take-Home Pay After Withholding
Enter your pay and the number of children on the order to estimate monthly net resources, guideline child support, the amount withheld from each paycheck, and what is left to take home.
Your pay and support order
Guideline support is based on monthly net resources.
Paycheck after child support
Texas guideline percentages, 2026 federal withholding.
This is an estimate of guideline support. Only a court order or the Office of the Attorney General sets the amount your employer must withhold, and a court can order more or less than the guideline.
The estimate applies the Texas guideline percentages, the $11,700 monthly cap on net resources, and the 50% limit on disposable earnings.
HOW TEXAS CALCULATES SUPPORT
How Child Support Is Withheld From a Texas Paycheck
Texas sets guideline child support as a percentage of the paying parent's monthly net resources, then collects it through an income withholding order sent to the employer. Four steps decide the amount that leaves your check.
1. Net resources, not gross pay
Under Texas Family Code section 154.062, net resources are all income minus a specific list of deductions: Social Security taxes, federal income tax figured for a single person claiming one personal exemption and the standard deduction, state income tax, union dues, and the cost of the child's health and dental insurance. Texas has no state income tax on wages, so that line is zero. Notice what is missing — 401(k) contributions and most benefit premiums do not reduce net resources even though they reduce your take-home pay.
2. The guideline percentage
The percentage depends on the number of children before the court, starting at 20% for one child and rising by five points per child through five children. For six or more, the order must be at least the amount for five.
3. The cap on net resources
Guideline percentages apply only to the first $11,700 of monthly net resources for orders rendered on or after September 1, 2025, up from $9,200 previously. Income above the cap is not counted unless the court finds the child has proven needs beyond guideline support.
4. The 50% ceiling on withholding
Section 158.009 caps an income withholding order at 50% of disposable earnings — pay left after deductions required by law. If ordered support plus arrears exceeds that ceiling, your employer withholds the ceiling and the shortfall accrues as arrears.
GUIDELINE SCHEDULE
Texas Child Support Percentages and Maximums
Guideline percentages under Texas Family Code section 154.125, with the maximum monthly amount each one produces at the $11,700 cap.
| Children before the court | Percentage of net resources | Maximum monthly support |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20% | $2,340 |
| 2 | 25% | $2,925 |
| 3 | 30% | $3,510 |
| 4 | 35% | $4,095 |
| 5 | 40% | $4,680 |
WORKED EXAMPLES
Texas Paycheck Examples With One Child
One child, bi-weekly pay, single filer, no health insurance premium or union dues entered. Take-home pay is what remains after federal tax, FICA, and the support withholding.
| Annual gross pay | Monthly net resources | Support / month | Withheld / check | Take-home / check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $45,000 | $3,195 | $639 | $294.90 | $1,179.62 |
| $60,000 | $4,199 | $840 | $387.62 | $1,550.46 |
| $75,000 | $5,133 | $1,027 | $473.79 | $1,895.15 |
| $100,000 | $6,598 | $1,320 | $609.08 | $2,436.31 |
| $175,000 | $10,907 | $2,181 | $1,006.76 | $4,027.03 |
Support is ordered as a monthly amount. On a bi-weekly schedule your employer converts it by multiplying by 12 and dividing by 26, so each check carries slightly less than half the monthly order and two months a year contain three checks.
USING THE CALCULATOR
How to Use This Texas Child Support Calculator
- Enter your annual gross pay, including overtime and bonuses you reliably receive.
- Select the number of children in this support order.
- Add the premium you pay for the child's health or dental coverage, and union dues if any.
- Choose your pay frequency so the monthly order converts to your pay cycle.
- Read the withheld amount, then check the 50% ceiling line to see whether the limit applies.
Your W-4 filing status changes your paycheck withholding but not your net resources. Section 154.062(d) requires the single-filer basis for the child support calculation regardless of how you actually file.
WHAT THIS ESTIMATE ASSUMES
Limits of a Child Support Estimate
- Standard guideline schedule only
- No multiple-household percentages
- No arrears or interest added
- No medical or dental support add-ons ordered separately
- Wage income only, not self-employment
- Court-ordered deviations not modeled
RELATED TEXAS CALCULATORS
Other Texas Paycheck Situations
To see the same paycheck without a support order, use the Texas paycheck calculator. The pages below cover the other common Texas paycheck situations.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
How much child support is taken out of a paycheck in Texas?+
Texas guideline support is a percentage of monthly net resources: 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five. The monthly amount is converted to your pay cycle, so on a bi-weekly schedule your employer withholds the monthly order multiplied by 12 and divided by 26.
What counts as net resources in Texas?+
Net resources are all income from nearly every source minus a short statutory list of deductions: Social Security taxes, federal income tax figured for a single person claiming one personal exemption and the standard deduction, state income tax, union dues, and the cost of the child's health and dental insurance. Texas has no state income tax on wages, so that deduction is zero here.
Is there a cap on Texas child support?+
Yes. For orders on or after September 1, 2025, the guideline percentages apply only to the first $11,700 of monthly net resources, up from $9,200. That puts guideline support for one child at a maximum of $2,340 per month. A court can order more than the guideline when the child has proven needs above that amount.
Can child support take more than half my paycheck in Texas?+
No. Texas Family Code section 158.009 limits an income withholding order to 50% of your disposable earnings — what is left after deductions required by law. If guideline support is higher than that ceiling, your employer withholds the ceiling and the unpaid difference accrues as arrears.
Does child support come out before or after taxes?+
After. Child support is withheld from earnings that remain once legally required deductions such as federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare have been taken. It is not a pre-tax deduction and it does not lower your taxable income.
Is child support taxable income in Texas?+
No. Child support is neither deductible by the parent who pays it nor taxable income to the parent who receives it. It does not appear as income or as a deduction on either federal return.
What if I support children in more than one household?+
Texas uses a separate schedule of reduced percentages in section 154.129 when a parent has a duty to support children in more than one household. This calculator applies only the standard guideline schedule, so ask the Office of the Attorney General or an attorney for the multiple-household figure.
CALCULATION SOURCES
Method and Sources
Guideline percentages, the definition of net resources, and the cap come from the Texas Family Code. The withholding limit comes from section 158.009. Federal tax and FICA figures use IRS Publication 15-T and Social Security Administration rates. The Office of the Attorney General publishes annual tax charts that courts use for the statutory federal tax deduction, so an official calculation may differ slightly from the estimate shown here.
- Texas Family Code section 154.062
- Texas Family Code section 154.125
- Texas Family Code section 158.009
- Office of the Attorney General child support
- IRS Publication 15-T withholding methods
- Social Security Administration wage base
Full assumptions are documented on our methodology page.
Reviewed by: Paycheck Calculator Editorial Team
Last Updated: August 2026