How Minimum Wage Affects Child Support in Texas: The $224 Figure

A parent earning the federal minimum wage in Texas will owe roughly $224 per month in child support for one child. That figure comes from applying the state’s 20% guideline for one child to the net resources of someone working 40 hours a week at $7.25 an hour. The amount rises with each additional child and can shift based on health insurance costs, other children the parent supports, and whether the judge decides a deviation is warranted. Here is how the minimum wage child support calculation works in Texas, and the situations where the number ends up higher or lower than the baseline.

How the $224 Figure Is Calculated

Texas child support is based on “net resources,” not gross pay. The starting point is $7.25 per hour times 40 hours, which is $290 a week. Multiplied by 52 and divided by 12, that produces gross monthly income of about $1,256.67.¹

From that gross figure, the Texas Family Code allows only a short list of deductions:²

Social Security tax at 6.2%, which is $77.91
Medicare tax at 1.45%, which is $18.22
Federal income tax of about $42.33, calculated as if the parent were single claiming one personal exemption and the standard deduction

Texas has no state income tax, so that line is zero. Total deductions come to about $138.46, leaving net resources of roughly $1,118.21 per month.¹ Union dues and the cost of court-ordered health or dental insurance for the child are also deductible if they apply.²

Twenty percent of $1,118.21 is about $224. One thing to watch: “resources” under Texas law covers more than wages. Tips, bonuses, overtime, unemployment benefits, Social Security (except SSI), disability payments, rental income, and gifts all count.² A parent earning the minimum wage with any additional income will have a higher net resources figure, and a higher payment.

Guideline Percentages by Number of Children

Section 154.125 of the Texas Family Code sets the presumptive percentages a judge applies to net resources:³

One child: 20%, about $224 per month
Two children: 25%, about $280
Three children: 30%, about $335
Four children: 35%, about $391
Five or more children: 40%, about $447

Those estimates assume $1,118 in net resources, no additional deductions, and all children living with the same custodial parent. If the paying parent also has children in a different household, Texas uses a separate multi-family formula that credits support owed to those other children before calculating what is owed in the case before the court. The per-child amount comes out lower, but the total obligation is usually higher.³

The standard percentages apply when net resources fall between $1,000 and $9,200 per month. A minimum-wage worker at 40 hours lands at about $1,118, just over the floor, so the standard schedule governs.⁴

Reduced Schedule for Net Resources Under $1,000

Parents who work fewer than 40 hours, earn tips that fluctuate, or receive only partial disability may land under the $1,000 threshold. For them, Texas uses a lower set of percentages: 15% for one child, 20% for two, 25% for three, 30% for four, and 35% for five or more.³ A parent with $900 in monthly net resources supporting one child would owe $135 under this schedule rather than the $180 the 20% standard would produce.

The Minimum-Wage Presumption for Unemployed Parents

Many people searching for this topic are not actually asking about a minimum-wage job. They are asking what happens when the other parent claims to earn nothing or refuses to turn over pay stubs. Section 154.068 answers that: if a parent produces no evidence of income, the court presumes they earn the federal minimum wage for a 40-hour week and runs the same calculation that produces the roughly $224 figure.⁵

The burden is on the parent to document what they actually earn. Silence does not lower the number; it locks in the floor. One exception: if the parent is confined for more than 90 days in a local, state, or federal facility when the court determines income, the minimum-wage presumption does not apply.⁵

When Courts Set Support Above Minimum Wage

Minimum wage is a floor, not a ceiling, and a parent cannot simply take a low-paying job to drive the number down. If the other parent shows that the paying parent is intentionally unemployed or underemployed, the court can calculate support based on earning capacity rather than actual earnings.⁶

Judges look at education, work history, physical and mental health, and what similar jobs pay in the area. A professional with a strong résumé who takes a minimum-wage position shortly before a support hearing will face skepticism. The parent raising the issue has to produce evidence first; the other parent then has a chance to rebut it. This is where most minimum-wage support disputes get contested, because the difference between the imputed income and $7.25 an hour can swing the monthly payment considerably.

Medical and Dental Support on Top

The percentage-based payment is not the full obligation. Every Texas child support order must also address medical and dental support. The court follows a priority system: if the paying parent has affordable health insurance through an employer, they are ordered to add the child. If not, and the custodial parent has access to affordable coverage, the court can order the custodial parent to enroll the child and have the paying parent reimburse the premium as additional child support.⁷

If neither parent has access to affordable insurance, the court orders cash medical support. For someone earning minimum wage, the premium cost for employer coverage is deducted from gross income before the 20% is applied, so insurance partially offsets the base payment.² The parent still carries both costs.

When a Judge Can Order a Different Amount

The guideline percentages are presumptive, which means either parent can ask for more or less by showing the standard amount would be unjust or inappropriate. Section 154.123 lists 17 factors the judge can weigh, including:⁸

The child’s age and specific needs, including daycare for younger children
The custodial parent’s own income and whether they are voluntarily underemployed
Travel costs for visitation when parents live far apart
Extraordinary medical or educational expenses for the child
Employer-provided benefits like housing or a company car that reduce a parent’s living costs
Debts assumed by either parent

At minimum-wage income levels, deviation arguments run both directions. The custodial parent may argue the child’s actual expenses exceed what $224 covers. The paying parent may argue they cannot meet basic living expenses after the deduction. Judges have broad discretion but must put their reasons for deviating on the record.

Changing the Order When Income Changes

A support amount set at minimum-wage levels is not permanent. If the paying parent lands a better job, loses the one they have, or circumstances otherwise shift, either parent can request a modification through two routes:⁹

The three-year rule: if the order was established or last modified more than three years ago and the current guidelines would produce an amount differing by at least 20% or $100 per month from the existing order
A material and substantial change in circumstances at any time, such as a significant income change, a new child the parent is legally responsible for, or a change in the child’s insurance coverage

One point to watch: modifications are not retroactive to when the circumstances changed. The new amount takes effect from the date the request is filed or ordered. A parent who loses a job and waits months to file still owes the original amount for the entire gap.

1
Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Parenting and Paternity Awareness – Count the Money
2
State of Texas. Texas Code Family Code 154.062 – Net Resources
3
State of Texas. Texas Code Family Code 154.125 – Application of Guidelines to Net Resources
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State of Texas. Texas Family Code 154 – Child Support
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State of Texas. Texas Code Family Code 154.068 – Wage and Salary Presumption
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State of Texas. Texas Family Code 154 – Child Support – Section 154.066
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State of Texas. Texas Family Code 154 – Child Support – Section 154.182
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State of Texas. Texas Code Family Code 154.123 – Additional Factors for Court to Consider
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Office of the Attorney General. Support Modification Process