CoreParent™

Pennsylvania child support: the 2026 schedule, the 40% overnight rule, and an example

Pennsylvania runs child support through court rules, not a statute table. The Supreme Court's Rule 1910.16-3 schedule was replaced on January 1, 2026, and it works from both parents' monthly NET income, after taxes, which sets Pennsylvania apart from the many states that start from gross pay.

Estimate free

At a glance

ModelIncome shares on combined monthly net income (Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-3 and 1910.16-4)
Current scheduleEffective January 1, 2026; covers combined net income up to $30,000 a month
Above $30,000Formula in Rule 1910.16-3.1, e.g. two children: $4,981 plus 4% of combined net income above $30,000, then a reasonable-needs review
Shared custody40% or more of overnights with the paying parent: their income share drops by (time % minus 30) points
Self-support reserve$1,255 of monthly net income
Support endsAge 18 or high school graduation, whichever comes last
ModificationMaterial and substantial change in circumstances; a new guideline amount can qualify

From paycheck to Pennsylvania net income

Rule 1910.16-2 lists the only deductions allowed from gross income: federal, state and local income taxes; unemployment compensation taxes and Local Services Taxes; FICA and non-voluntary retirement payments; mandatory union dues; and alimony paid to the other party. Voluntary 401(k) contributions, car payments and other debts stay in income.

The two net incomes are added and read on the schedule, which the rule says reflects what intact families spend on children at each income level. The 2021 explanatory comment notes that the schedule no longer builds in any assumed custody time; time with the paying parent is handled separately, through the 40% adjustment. Each parent owes a share of the schedule amount equal to their share of combined net income.

If a parent is underemployed or not working, the court can assign an earning capacity based on factors such as age, education, work history, health, the local job market and any record of seeking work.

Worked example: Pennsylvania

  1. Parent A brings home $6,000 a month after the allowed deductions and Parent B $4,000, so combined monthly net income is $10,000.
  2. The schedule in effect since January 1, 2026 lists $2,452 for two children at $10,000. (At $30,000, the top of the table, it lists $4,981.)
  3. Parent A earns 60% of the combined net income. With the children living mainly with Parent B, Parent A pays $1,471 a month toward basic support.
  4. Over a year that is about $17,652. Child care, the children's health insurance premium and qualifying medical bills are then split 60/40 on top of it.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Figures are rounded to the dollar and leave out the insurance, childcare, and other adjustments your case may have. Try your own numbers in CoreParent's calculator, then confirm with the state's official calculator.

The 40% rule and 50/50 custody

When the children spend 40% or more of the year's overnights with the paying parent, there is a rebuttable presumption that the payment should drop. Part D of the formula takes that parent's percentage of overnights, subtracts 30, and cuts their income share by the difference: 10 points at 40%, rising to 20 points at an even split. In the example, 146 overnights is 40% of the year, so Parent A's share falls from 60% to 50% and the payment becomes about $1,226 a month.

With exactly equal overnights, only the parent with the higher net income can be the payer, whoever filed. Parent A's share drops to 40%, about $981 a month. A further rule applies at equal time: if the payment would leave the receiving parent with more of the combined net income than the payer, it is cut back to the amount that evens out the two households. The 40% reduction does not apply on top of the self-support reserve calculation for low-income obligors.

Child care, insurance and the $250 medical threshold

Reasonable child care needed to keep a job or pursue appropriate education is divided by net income share, after first reducing the cost by the federal child care tax credit available to the eligible parent. The children's health insurance premium is divided the same way.

Coverage is expected from the paying parent first when it costs no more than 5% of that parent's net income. Unreimbursed medical costs are shared only above $250 per person per year, and the receipts must reach the other parent by March 31 of the following year.

Low income and the self-support reserve

The schedule has a shaded area for low incomes. When the paying parent's own net income falls in it, support is figured two ways, once on that parent's income alone and once with the regular two-income formula, and the lower result applies. The reserve protects $1,255 a month; at or below that level, a court can award support only after looking at both parents' actual resources and living expenses.

High incomes

Above $30,000 of combined net income a month, Rule 1910.16-3.1 sets a formula per number of children, for example $3,749 plus 4% of the excess for one child. The court then reviews the children's reasonable needs and can adjust up or down, but never below what the $30,000 row would produce, and it must explain its findings.

When support ends

Support runs to 18 or high school graduation, whichever happens last. Within six months before a child turns 18, the county domestic relations section mails an emancipation inquiry asking about graduation, whether the child has moved out, any agreement to pay longer, and any special needs. If it is not returned in 30 days and no other child is on the order, the order can be ended administratively. Arrears survive termination.

Changing an order

A petition to modify must state the material and substantial change it relies on. The rule says a new guideline amount from revised guidelines may itself be such a change, so the January 2026 schedule is a reason to recheck older orders. Once a petition is filed it cannot be withdrawn without the other parent's consent or the court's permission.

Who handles the case

Each county's domestic relations section runs support conferences and enforcement, under the Department of Human Services' Bureau of Child Support Enforcement. The Department's online estimator covers child support for combined net incomes up to $30,000 a month.

Documents you will need

Pennsylvania child support FAQ

Did Pennsylvania child support change in 2026?

Yes. An amended Basic Child Support Schedule in Rule 1910.16-3 took effect January 1, 2026, and the self-support reserve is $1,255 a month. A new guideline amount can count as a material change for modification.

How much is child support for 2 kids in Pennsylvania?

It depends on combined net income. At $10,000 a month the schedule lists $2,452; a parent with 60% of that income and under 40% of overnights pays about $1,471 before add-ons.

How many overnights lower child support in Pennsylvania?

40% of the year's overnights, about 146. At that point the paying parent's income share drops by 10 points, and by up to 20 points at equal time.

Is Pennsylvania child support based on gross or net income?

Net. Income taxes, FICA, mandatory retirement, mandatory union dues and alimony paid to the other party come off gross income first; nothing else does.

Does child support stop at 18 in Pennsylvania?

At 18 or high school graduation, whichever is later, unless the parents agreed otherwise or the child has special needs that justify continued support.

Next steps

Sources

Verified against these official sources in October 2026:

Child support in every other state

All states

This is general educational information, not legal advice, and official figures change. Last verified: October 2026. Consult a licensed family-law attorney in Pennsylvania.