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Pennsylvania Child Support Calculator
Estimate Pennsylvania child support under Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16: estimated net income, the support schedule, the $1,255 self-support reserve, child care and health insurance, and the 40% overnight reduction.
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How to Use the Pennsylvania Child Support Calculator
Enter what you know and press Calculate Estimate. The calculator estimates each parent's monthly net income, applies the Pennsylvania support schedule and shows every step.
- Enter each parent's gross monthly income as Parent A and Parent B.
- Choose the number of children and the parent the children live with most of the time.
- Add monthly child care and the child's health insurance premium, and say which parent pays them.
- If the children spend 40% or more of the overnights (146 nights a year) with the paying parent, enter that number so the shared custody reduction is applied.
Your numbers are sent with the form, not placed in the page address, and this site does not store them. The result is a planning estimate; the Pennsylvania court (Domestic Relations Section) decides the actual amount.
New Pennsylvania Child Support Laws and Changes for 2026
Looking for new child support laws in Pennsylvania for 2026? The child support guidelines in Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-1 to 1910.16-7 were amended effective January 1, 2026. The figure most people notice is the self-support reserve, now $1,255 a month (Rule 1910.16-2(e)(1)(i)). This calculator uses it for the shaded-area and low-income checks, and it uses the current basic support schedule.
A new guideline does not automatically change an existing order. To use the new schedule you generally have to ask the court to modify the order. Check the Pennsylvania Code or the Domestic Relations Section for the current rule text.
How Pennsylvania Calculates Child Support
Pennsylvania uses an income shares approach set out in Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-1 to 1910.16-7. The formula in Rule 1910.16-4 works in these steps:
- Monthly net income. Under Rule 1910.16-2, support is ordinarily based on at least a six-month average of income from any source. Only certain items can be subtracted from gross income: federal, state and local income taxes, unemployment compensation and Local Services taxes, FICA and non-voluntary retirement payments, mandatory union dues, and alimony paid to the other party. Public assistance and SSI are not counted.
- Combine the two net incomes and read the basic child support obligation from the Rule 1910.16-3 schedule for the number of children.
- Allocate it by income share. The paying parent (obligor) pays the percentage of combined net income that is their own.
- Apply the custody adjustment if the obligor has the children 40% or more of the overnights (see below).
- Add the additional expenses in Rule 1910.16-6: child care, the child's health insurance premium and unreimbursed medical expenses.
How this calculator estimates net income: it subtracts federal income tax (standard deduction and brackets), FICA and Pennsylvania's 3.07% income tax from gross income. It does not include local earned income tax, so your real net income may differ. Between the schedule rows the calculator interpolates linearly.
Pennsylvania Child Support Schedule: Sample Amounts
The Rule 1910.16-3 schedule gives the basic child support obligation for each level of combined monthly net income. A few rows are shown below; this is the amount before income shares, custody adjustments and additional expenses.
| Combined monthly net income | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children | 4 children | 5 children | 6 children |
|---|
| $1,300 | $41 | $41 | $41 | $42 | $42 | $43 |
| $1,800 | $415 | $496 | $501 | $507 | $512 | $518 |
| $3,800 | $875 | $1,309 | $1,573 | $1,757 | $1,932 | $2,101 |
| $6,300 | $1,224 | $1,836 | $2,187 | $2,443 | $2,687 | $2,921 |
| $30,000 | $3,749 | $4,981 | $5,803 | $6,482 | $7,130 | $7,750 |
The schedule used by this calculator runs from $1,300 to $30,000 of combined monthly net income, with columns for one to six children.
Pennsylvania Self-Support Reserve ($1,255) and the Shaded Area
The self-support reserve (SSR) is the minimum monthly net income the paying parent keeps for basic needs. Rule 1910.16-2(e)(1)(i) sets it at $1,255 a month, in effect since the rule was amended on January 1, 2026. It matters in two ways:
- If the paying parent's net income is at or below the SSR, support may be awarded only after the court considers the parties' actual financial resources and living expenses. This calculator does not estimate that case.
- If the paying parent's income falls in the shaded area of the schedule, the rule applies the lesser of two calculations: the combined-income calculation, and a calculation using only the paying parent's own net income.
The Official Note to Rule 1910.16-2 gives an example: the paying parent has net income of $1,500 and the other parent $2,500, with two children. The combined calculation gives $523 a month, but the obligor-only calculation gives $223, and the lesser amount, $223, is used. The calculator applies this check automatically.
Pennsylvania Child Support Examples
Example 1: 2 children, no shared custody
Parent A (children live with A) has net income $2,800; Parent B has $3,500. Combined net income is $6,300, and the schedule gives $1,836 for two children. Parent B's share is 56%. Basic support is $1,028 a month.
Example 2: Same incomes with 40% overnights
If the children spend 146 overnights (40%) with Parent B, the share is reduced by 40 − 30 = 10 points to 46%: $1,836 × 46% = $845 a month.
Example 3: 3 children with child care
Same incomes. The schedule amount for three children at $6,300 is $2,187; × 56% = $1,225. Parent A pays $500 a month of child care, and Parent B's 55.6% share of that is $277.78. Total: $1,502.78 a month.
These are illustrations produced from the schedule, not court rulings. Use the calculator above to enter your own numbers.
Pennsylvania Child Support With 50/50 or Shared Custody
If you are looking for a 50/50 child support calculator for Pennsylvania or a calculator with overnights, the rule is Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-4(c).
- The 40% presumption. When a child spends 40% or more of the annual overnights (146 of 365) with the paying parent, there is a rebuttable presumption that support is reduced. The paying parent's overnight percentage minus 30 is subtracted from their income percentage: 40% time is a 10-point reduction, and 50% time is a 20-point reduction.
- Equal time. With equal overnights the formula applies only if the paying parent has the higher income, and a lower-income parent cannot be required to pay basic support to the higher-income parent. If the result would leave the other parent with more than half of combined income, the amount is reduced so combined income is split equally.
- Several children on different schedules. Rule 1910.16-4(d)(2) averages each child's overnight percentage; the reduction applies if the average is 40% or more.
The Official Note gives an example: net incomes of $5,000 (obligor) and $2,300, two children, and a schedule amount of $1,960. Without a custody adjustment the obligor's share is 68%, or $1,333. At 40% overnights the share drops to 58%: $1,137. At 45% it drops to 53%: $1,039. Enter the paying parent's overnights in the calculator to see the same steps.
Child Care, Health Insurance and Medical Costs in Pennsylvania
Rule 1910.16-6 treats these as additional expenses, generally split in proportion to each parent's share of combined net income:
- Child care needed to work or to pursue education is allocated between the parents, and the court may reduce it by the federal child care tax credit available to an eligible party.
- Health insurance premiums for the child are allocated; if the obligor pays, the other parent's share is deducted from basic support, and if the other parent pays, the obligor's share is added.
- Unreimbursed medical expenses are allocated only above $250 per person per calendar year, including copays, deductibles, dental, optical, psychiatric, psychological and orthodontic care.
- Private school, summer camp and other expenses can be allocated if the court finds them reasonable.
The calculator adds child care and the health insurance premium. It does not include the child care tax credit reduction, unreimbursed medical bills or school costs.
Pennsylvania Child Support Above $30,000 Combined Net Income
When the parents' combined monthly net income is more than $30,000, Rule 1910.16-2(e)(2) says support is calculated under Rule 1910.16-3.1 instead of the schedule. This calculator stops at $30,000 and tells you so, because the rule requires a case-specific analysis.
What This Pennsylvania Estimate Does Not Include
- Exact net income: taxes are estimated from gross income, and local earned income tax is not included.
- Spousal support or alimony pendente lite, which Rule 1910.16-4 calculates before child support. People search for a "child support and alimony calculator for PA"; this tool estimates child support only.
- Support for other families that would reduce net income, and split custody offsets.
- The child's Social Security derivative benefit credit.
- Deviations under Rule 1910.16-5 and imputed income (earning capacity) under Rule 1910.16-2(d); enter the income you expect a court to use.
- Arrears, modification and enforcement.
Pennsylvania Child Support Terms
- Obligor
- The parent who pays support.
- Obligee
- The parent who receives it.
- Monthly net income
- Gross income minus the deductions allowed by Rule 1910.16-2(c).
- Basic child support obligation
- The schedule amount for the combined net income and number of children.
- Self-support reserve
- The minimum net income, $1,255 a month, reserved for the paying parent.
- Substantial or shared custody
- The paying parent has the children 40% or more of the overnights.
- Additional expenses
- Child care, health insurance and medical costs allocated under Rule 1910.16-6.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pennsylvania Child Support
Is this the official Pennsylvania child support calculator?
No. ChildSupportCalculator.xyz is an independent tool and is not affiliated with the state or any court. It applies the schedule and formula in Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-1 to 1910.16-7. The county Domestic Relations Section and the court decide actual amounts.
How is child support calculated in Pennsylvania?
Each parent's monthly net income is found, the two are combined, the basic obligation is read from the schedule, and the paying parent pays their percentage share of it. A shared custody reduction may apply, and child care, health insurance and medical costs are then added.
How accurate is the PA child support calculator?
It is as accurate as the numbers you enter. This tool estimates net income from gross income, so a different tax situation, local earned income tax or other deductions will change the result. Treat it as a planning estimate, not a court order.
How does 50/50 custody affect child support in Pennsylvania?
With equal overnights the standard formula applies only if the paying parent has the higher net income, and the paying parent's income share is reduced by (their overnight percentage − 30) points. If the result would give the other parent more than half of combined income, it is reduced so income is split equally.
How many overnights are needed for a reduction in Pennsylvania?
40% of the year, which is 146 overnights. At that level there is a rebuttable presumption that support is reduced under Rule 1910.16-4(c).
What is the self-support reserve in Pennsylvania?
$1,255 a month of net income under Rule 1910.16-2(e)(1)(i), effective January 1, 2026. If the paying parent's income is at or below it, the court considers actual resources and living expenses; in the shaded area of the schedule the lesser of two calculations applies.
What if our combined net income is more than $30,000 a month?
Rule 1910.16-2(e)(2) says support is calculated under Rule 1910.16-3.1. This calculator does not estimate those cases.
Does Pennsylvania child support include child care and health insurance?
Yes. Rule 1910.16-6 allocates child care and the child's health insurance premium between the parents, generally by income share. Unreimbursed medical expenses are allocated above $250 per person per year.
Does this calculator include alimony or spousal support?
No. Pennsylvania calculates spousal support or alimony pendente lite before child support in Rule 1910.16-4, and this tool estimates child support only. Ask the Domestic Relations Section or an attorney about your case.
Can I apply for child support services in Pennsylvania?
Yes. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services offers child support services; see the official Apply for Child Support Services page linked below.
Are there new child support laws in Pennsylvania in 2026?
The guidelines in Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16 were amended effective January 1, 2026. The self-support reserve is now $1,255 a month. Existing orders do not change automatically; you generally need to ask the court to modify them.
Official Pennsylvania Child Support Resources
Published: October 2, 2026
Last reviewed: October 12, 2026
Researched and reviewed by Eric John, founder and editor, using official state statutes and guidance. How we build and check our calculators · Corrections
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