How Much Is Child Support in Washington State?

Child support in Washington State is set by a statutory economic table that matches the parents’ combined monthly net income against the number of children, producing a basic per-child dollar figure that the parents then split in proportion to their incomes. Two parents with $5,000 in combined monthly net income and two children, for example, start from a basic obligation of $723 per child under the 2026 table. At $10,000 combined, that figure rises to $1,099 per child. Health insurance premiums, work-related daycare, and certain other expenses are added on top and divided the same way.¹

What the Economic Table Says

Every calculation runs through the state’s economic table, published under Chapter 26.19 RCW. You find the row for your combined monthly net income, read across to the column for the number of children, and that cell gives you the basic monthly obligation per child.² Multiply by the number of children, and you have the total basic obligation for the household.

A sample of the 2026 figures, per child per month:

$2,200 combined income: $477 (one child), $367 (two children), $298 (three children)
$5,000 combined income: $951 (one child), $723 (two children), $580 (three children)
$10,000 combined income: $1,451 (one child), $1,099 (two children), $879 (three children)
$20,000 combined income: $2,302 (one child), $1,823 (two children), $1,477 (three children)
$50,000 combined income: $3,916 (one child), $3,058 (two children), $2,692 (three children)

The table is presumptive up to $50,000 in combined monthly net income. Above that ceiling, a judge can set a higher number but has to put the reasoning in written findings.² Below $2,200 in combined income, the court looks at each household’s actual resources and expenses, with a hard floor of $50 per child per month.¹

After the total obligation is set, the court divides it between the parents based on each parent’s share of combined net income. If one parent earns 60% of the total, that parent is responsible for 60% of the obligation; the parent who does not have primary residential care typically writes the check.

How Your Net Income Is Calculated

Because every dollar amount flows from net income, the way net income is defined matters as much as the table itself. Washington starts with gross monthly income from nearly every source: wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, self-employment earnings, rental income, dividends, interest, Social Security benefits, workers’ compensation, unemployment, pensions, and capital gains. Maintenance actually received also counts.³

Several categories are disclosed but excluded from the calculation: a new spouse’s or domestic partner’s income, child support received for children from other relationships, public assistance such as TANF or food stamps, and SSI benefits.³

From gross, the court subtracts a defined list of deductions to reach net: federal and state income taxes, FICA (Social Security and Medicare), mandatory union or professional dues, and state industrial insurance premiums. Both parents have to back up the numbers with the last two years of tax returns and current pay stubs.³

When Income Is Imputed

If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court can assign an income figure based on work history, education, and the local job market. Someone with a long full-time work history who cuts back to part-time without a strong reason will likely have full-time earnings imputed to them. The point is to keep a parent from shrinking the support obligation by shrinking their own paycheck.

What Gets Added on Top

The economic table covers everyday living costs like food, shelter, and clothing. Three other categories are added separately and divided between the parents in the same income-based proportions:

Health insurance premiums for the children. If neither parent can get coverage through work, the court may order a parent to obtain coverage and build that cost into the order.
Work-related daycare and childcare costs.
Extraordinary expenses for special medical, educational, or psychological needs beyond ordinary childhood costs.

These add-ons are where the real monthly figure often outruns the table. Two parents with $7,000 in combined net income and two children might start from a basic obligation of roughly $1,300 total, but $600 in daycare and $200 in health insurance premiums push the real transfer closer to $2,100.

The Self-Support Reserve

Washington puts a floor under the paying parent so the order does not drive them into poverty. The self-support reserve is tied to the federal poverty guideline for a one-person household; the 2026 schedule references a figure of $2,347.50 per month.¹ If the standard calculation would leave the paying parent below that line, the court reduces the obligation, though generally not below the $50 per child minimum. The reserve can be overridden when applying it would leave the receiving household unable to cover the children’s basic needs.

When a Court Sets a Different Amount

The number produced by the table and the add-ons is presumed correct, but a judge can deviate from it in specific situations. The parent asking for a deviation has to explain why the standard number would be unjust, and the court has to enter written findings. Common grounds include:

A residential schedule in which the child spends significant time with the parent who would otherwise be paying. The deviation cannot leave the receiving household short of what the child needs.³
Children from other relationships that a parent is already supporting.
Nonrecurring income such as a one-time bonus or seasonal overtime that inflates the monthly figure. The court can smooth this out using earnings over the previous two calendar years.³
Extraordinary debt that was not voluntarily incurred, or a significant gap in living costs between the two households that neither parent controls.
Significant wealth, including savings, investments, real estate, and business interests, even if those assets do not produce monthly income.

Running Your Own Numbers

Every Washington child support order is built on the Washington State Child Support Worksheets, which are mandatory forms maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts.⁴ The worksheet walks through each step in sequence: gross income, deductions, net income, the basic obligation from the economic table, health insurance and daycare add-ons, and the final transfer payment. The standard calculation and any ordered deviation both appear on the form.

Blank worksheets, instructions, and the full economic table are available on the Washington Courts website.⁵ Filling them out at home gives you a realistic estimate of what a court would order on the same numbers. Where the calculation gets harder is in verifying self-employment income, dealing with imputation arguments, and briefing a deviation request; those are the points at which most parents bring in a lawyer.

1
Washington Courts. Washington State Child Support Schedule
2
Washington State Legislature. Washington Code RCW 26.19.020 – Child Support Economic Table
3
Washington State Legislature. Washington Code Chapter 26.19 RCW – Child Support Schedule
4
Washington State Legislature. Washington Code RCW 26.19.050 – Worksheets and Instructions
5
Washington State Courts. Court Forms – WSCSS Schedule and Worksheets