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Washington Child Support Calculator

A free estimate under the child support schedule effective January 1, 2026

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What Washington Child Support Actually Depends On

Chapter 26.19 RCW

Washington uses an income shares model built on net income. Each parent’s gross income is reduced by taxes, FICA, mandatory pension and union dues, mandatory state premiums for paid family leave and WA Cares, maintenance actually paid and up to $5,000 a year of regular voluntary retirement contributions. The two net figures are added together, a basic support obligation per child is read from the economic table in RCW 26.19.020, and that obligation is divided between the parents in proportion to what each of them earns.

Three things then adjust it. The children’s health insurance, work-related day care and special expenses are added and shared in the same proportions, with credit to whoever actually pays them. The paying parent’s basic obligation is then tested against two limits: it may not exceed 45 percent of that parent’s net income, and it may not push that parent below the self-support reserve. Finally, the court may deviate from the standard calculation, most often for the residential schedule, but only with written findings.

What changed on January 1, 2026

Engrossed House Bill 1014 delivered the biggest overhaul of the schedule in decades. The economic table now runs to $50,000 a month in combined net income instead of stopping at $12,000, so high-income families finally have a presumptive number. The bottom of the table moved from $1,000 to $2,200, the self-support reserve for the paying parent rose from 125 percent to 180 percent of the federal poverty guideline ($2,394 a month in 2026), and paid leave and WA Cares premiums became deductible in computing net income. What did not change: Washington still has no automatic parenting-time credit. Any calculator that stops at $12,000 or uses the old reserve is giving you a pre-2026 answer. Read our full breakdown of the 2026 changes.

NWF Calculator: Child Support

Washington sets child support from both parents' net monthly income and the economic table in RCW 26.19.020. Enter income after taxes, FICA, mandatory pension or union dues, state paid leave and WA Cares premiums, and any maintenance you actually pay. Your estimate updates as you type. No contact details are needed to see it.

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Why Your Real Number May Differ

Where estimates meet reality

  • Income is disputed, or a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed and the court imputes income to them under RCW 26.19.071(6).

  • A parent is self-employed, where net income means receipts less ordinary business expenses and self-employment tax, and that figure is often contested.

  • A parent supports children from another relationship, which can justify a deviation and changes the figures this calculator does not collect.

  • The paying parent has the children a significant amount of the time. A residential schedule deviation under RCW 26.19.075(1)(d) is discretionary, needs written findings and cannot leave the receiving household short.

  • Combined net income is above $50,000, where the court may exceed the table with findings, or below $2,200, where support is set on each household's resources.

  • Extraordinary health care, educational or long-distance transportation costs are added on top of the basic obligation and shared by income share under RCW 26.19.080.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is child support calculated in Washington?

Both parents’ net monthly incomes are combined and a basic support obligation per child is taken from the economic table in RCW 26.19.020. That obligation is divided in proportion to each parent’s income. The children’s health insurance, work-related day care and special expenses are added and shared the same way, with credit to whoever pays. The paying parent’s share is then checked against the 45 percent cap and the self-support reserve, and the result is the presumptive transfer payment unless the court deviates.

What changed in Washington child support on January 1, 2026?

EHB 1014 extended the economic table from $12,000 to $50,000 in combined monthly net income, raised the floor of the table from $1,000 to $2,200, increased the self-support reserve from 125 percent to 180 percent of the federal poverty guideline, and allowed paid family leave and WA Cares premiums to be deducted when computing net income.

Does 50/50 parenting time mean no child support?

No. With equal time the parent with the larger obligation, usually the higher earner, is still normally the paying parent. A residential schedule deviation is commonly requested in equal-time cases and often granted in part, but it is never automatic and it cannot leave the receiving household without enough to meet the children’s basic needs.

What is the self-support reserve?

It is the amount of net income the paying parent is allowed to keep before the basic support obligation is applied. For 2026 it is 180 percent of the federal poverty guideline for one person, which works out to $2,394 a month. Below that, the presumptive minimum of $50 per child applies unless the court finds that would be unjust.

Can a child support order be changed later?

Yes. An order can be modified on a substantial change of circumstances, and either parent can ask for an adjustment after 24 months based on changes in income or changes to the economic table itself under RCW 26.09.170. Because the 2026 table changed the numbers for many families, an adjustment is worth reviewing if your order was entered under the old schedule.

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