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Washington child support: the economic table, the low-income limits, and a worked example

Washington works from both parents' net income, reads a per-child amount from the economic table in RCW 26.19.020, and then runs every result through a set of limits that protect a low-income parent. A new table, reaching $50,000 of combined monthly net income, took effect January 1, 2026.

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At a glance

ModelIncome shares on combined monthly NET income (RCW 26.19.020 and 26.19.080)
Economic tablePer-child amounts from $2,200 to $50,000 combined net a month, in effect since January 1, 2026
Self-support reserve180% of the federal poverty guideline for one person: $2,394 a month as of January 13, 2026
Upper limitNo more than 45% of a parent's net income for all of their children, except for good cause
Minimum order$50 per child per month, unless the paying parent shows it would be unjust
Shared timeNo formula; a deviation is possible when the child spends significant time with the paying parent (RCW 26.19.075(1)(d))
AgencyDivision of Child Support, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services

From gross pay to the standard calculation

Every Washington order starts from the Washington State Child Support Schedule worksheets, which must be completed and filed in every case. Gross income includes wages, salaries, commissions, overtime, bonuses, self-employment and rental income, Social Security, pensions, unemployment and workers' compensation, and maintenance actually received. A new spouse's or partner's income, child support received for other children, gifts and prizes, TANF, SSI and food stamps are disclosed but left out.

Net income is gross income minus federal and state income taxes, FICA, mandatory pension contributions, mandatory union or professional dues, mandatory state deductions such as paid family and medical leave and the long-term care premium, state industrial insurance, maintenance actually paid, up to $5,000 a year of established voluntary retirement contributions, and normal business expenses for the self-employed.

The two net incomes are added, and the economic table gives a monthly amount per child for that combined income and family size. That per-child figure times the number of children is the basic support obligation, which is split between the parents by their share of combined net income. Above $50,000 a month the table stops being presumptive, and a court may go higher with written findings.

Worked example: Washington

  1. Parent A brings home $5,400 a month in net income as Washington defines it and Parent B brings home $3,600, so the combined net income is $9,000.
  2. In the 2026 economic table, the $9,000 row lists $1,026 per child for a two-child family. Two children make the basic support obligation $2,052.
  3. Parent A earns 60% of the combined net income, so Parent A's share is $1,231 and Parent B's share is $821.
  4. The limits do not bite here: $1,231 is well under 45% of Parent A's net income, and Parent A keeps far more than the $2,394 reserve. With the children living mainly with Parent B, Parent A pays $1,231 a month, about $14,772 a year, before health care, day care and special expenses are added by the same income shares.

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.

Residential schedules: a deviation, not a formula

Washington has no overnight threshold and no shared-custody worksheet. The standard calculation stays the presumptive amount, and the judge may deviate from it when the child spends a significant amount of time with the parent who makes the transfer payment. The court must weigh the paying parent's added costs from that time against any savings in the other household, and it may not deviate if the receiving household would be left unable to meet the child's basic needs or if the child receives TANF.

So in the example, even with a true week-on, week-off schedule the starting point is still $1,231 a month from Parent A; any reduction has to be argued, supported by evidence, and written into the findings. A parents' agreement alone is not enough to justify a deviation, and the court must explain its reasons even when it denies one.

The low-income limits

Washington raised its self-support reserve in 2026 from 125% to 180% of the federal poverty guideline for a one-person household. The basic obligation of the paying parent cannot push that parent's net income below the reserve, except for the $50-per-child minimum. The court instructions show the effect: a parent netting $3,000 whose table share would be $778.27 instead owes $606, the amount above the $2,394 reserve. When combined net income is under $2,200, each parent's presumptive obligation is $50 per child. A parent with children in other homes gets a pro rata share of the income above the reserve for the children in the case.

Health care, day care and special expenses

Health care costs are outside the economic table and are shared in the same proportion as the basic obligation; that covers medical, dental, orthodontia, vision, counseling and prescriptions. Both parents owe medical support. Coverage through a parent's job or union is expected when it costs no more than 25% of that parent's basic support obligation, and a parent's payment toward a premium the other parent or the state pays is capped at the same 25%. Day care and special child-rearing expenses, such as tuition and long-distance travel for visits, are also split by income share. A parent who pays for day care that was not actually incurred can recover the overpayment once it reaches 20% of the year's day care payments.

Other reasons a judge may deviate

Besides the residential schedule, RCW 26.19.075 lets a court deviate for a new spouse's income (only alongside another reason), substantial wealth, nonrecurring income such as overtime or bonuses reviewed over the prior two years, extraordinary debt not voluntarily incurred, special needs of the children, and duties to children from other relationships. Those other children are never counted in the table; they matter only as a deviation, judged on the total circumstances of both households.

When support ends, college, and changing an order

Support ends at emancipation, and Washington's age of majority is 18. A court can extend support past 18 so a child can finish high school, and it may order postsecondary educational support for a dependent child in good academic standing, generally not beyond the child's 23rd birthday. For college the schedule is advisory rather than mandatory.

A parent can petition to modify on a substantial change of circumstances at any time, and changes apply only to installments after the filing. Once 24 months have passed since the order or last adjustment, either parent can ask for an adjustment based on changed incomes or a new economic table without proving a substantial change; the 2026 table qualifies. If the change is more than 30% and would cause hardship, it can be phased in over six months. Voluntary unemployment alone is not a change.

Collection and enforcement

The Division of Child Support at DSHS (800-442-KIDS) opens cases, collects and enforces orders, reviews orders on request, and publishes the WSCSS worksheet calculator and a quick estimator. DCS can seek an adjustment when an order is at least 15% above or below the standard calculation. Unpaid child support judgments carry 12% interest under RCW 4.56.110.

Documents you will need

Washington child support FAQ

Does Washington calculate child support on gross or net income?

Net. The worksheets start from gross income, subtract taxes, FICA and other mandatory deductions listed in RCW 26.19.071, and look up the combined net figure in the economic table.

How much is child support for 2 kids in Washington?

At $9,000 of combined net income the 2026 table gives $1,026 per child, or $2,052 for two. A parent earning 60% of that income would owe about $1,231 a month before health care and day care.

What is the self-support reserve in Washington for 2026?

180% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, which the court instructions put at $2,394 a month as of January 13, 2026. Basic support cannot take a paying parent below it, apart from the $50-per-child minimum.

Is there child support with 50/50 custody in Washington?

Usually. There is no equal-time formula, so the standard calculation still applies and the higher earner normally pays. A judge may deviate downward for the time the child spends with the paying parent, but only on evidence and written findings.

Can I change my Washington child support order after the 2026 table?

If 24 months have passed since the order or the last adjustment, a change in the economic table is a ground for adjustment without proving a substantial change. Otherwise you need a substantial change of circumstances.

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 Washington.