Pennsylvania Child Support Calculator (2026)

How Pennsylvania calculates child support

The Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure 1910.16-1 through 1910.16-7 contain the support guidelines, which follow the income shares model. The court determines each parent's monthly net income, combines them, and looks up the basic child support obligation in the schedule in Rule 1910.16-3 for that combined income and the number of children. The parent who does not have primary custody, the obligor, pays the percentage of that obligation that equals their share of combined net income.

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania updates the schedule every four years based on economic data. The January 1, 2026 amendments raised the basic support amounts by roughly 3% to 10% across income levels and the self-support reserve to $1,255 per month.

Monthly net income

Rule 1910.16-2 defines income broadly: wages, bonuses, commissions, business income, rents, interest, pensions, Social Security and disability benefits, unemployment, workers' compensation, and lottery winnings. From gross income the court deducts federal, state and local income taxes, FICA, non-voluntary retirement contributions, union dues, and alimony paid to the other party. This estimate deducts federal tax, FICA and the 3.07% Pennsylvania income tax for a single filer; enter net income directly if you have a figure from the PACSES estimator.

Substantial and equally shared custody

Under Rule 1910.16-4(c), an obligor who has the children for 40% or more of the annual overnights is presumed entitled to a reduction. The obligor's percentage share of the basic obligation is reduced by the percentage of overnights above 30%: an obligor with 45% of overnights and a 60% income share pays 45% of the basic obligation instead of 60%.

When overnights are exactly equal, only the parent with the higher net income can be the obligor, the lower earner can never be ordered to pay basic support, and the adjusted amount may not leave the obligee with more than half of the parties' combined net income. If it would, the court sets support at the amount that equalizes the two incomes.

Additional expenses

Rule 1910.16-6 allocates certain expenses on top of basic support in proportion to net income: reasonable childcare costs, the children's health insurance premiums, unreimbursed medical expenses above $250 per child per year (the obligee pays the first $250), private school tuition, summer camp, and other needs the court approves. The parent who pays an expense directly receives credit for it, so the order reflects only the other parent's share.

Low income and high income

If the obligor's net income is at or below the $1,255 self-support reserve, the guideline amount is zero, and if paying the guideline amount would drop the obligor below the reserve, the order is reduced so that the obligor keeps that much. For combined net incomes above $30,000 per month, Rule 1910.16-3.1 sets the basic obligation at the $30,000 amount plus a percentage of income above it, from 4.0% for one or two children to 6.3% for six, and the court then considers the children's reasonable needs.

Deviation, duration and modification

The guideline amount is presumptively correct. Rule 1910.16-5 lists the factors that can justify a deviation, including unusual needs or fixed obligations, other support obligations, assets, medical expenses, the standard of living, and the duration of the marriage. Support runs until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later, and either party can request a modification on a material and substantial change in circumstances, or a review when the guidelines are amended.