Wisconsin Child Support Calculator (2026)
Wisconsin calculates child support under percentage-of-income guidelines (Wis. Admin. Code ch. DCF 150; Wis. Stat. § 767.511). Estimate the guideline amount below.
Income basis: the paying parent's (payer's) gross monthly income from all sources.
Enter the income above to see the guideline estimate.
Simplified guideline estimate — before health-insurance, childcare, and parenting-time adjustments. For the exact figure use the official Wisconsin calculator.
Your Case Details
Answer a few questions to see your estimated range.
Approximate gap between higher-earner and lower-earner.
Estimated Monthly Support
$840 — $1,560
State formulas vary significantly. This estimate uses national averages — your state's guidelines may produce a different number.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
Wisconsin child support is a percentage of the paying parent's the paying parent's (payer's) gross monthly income from all sources: 17% for one child, 25% for two, rising to 34% for 5 or more (Wis. Admin. Code ch. DCF 150; Wis. Stat. § 767.511). Enter the paying parent's income above for the guideline figure.
How Wisconsin Calculates Child Support
Wisconsin uses the Percentage of Income Standard under Wis. Admin. Code ch. DCF 150 (adopted under rulemaking authority in Wis. Stat. § 49.22(9), applied by courts under Wis. Stat. § 767.511): only the paying parent's (payer's) gross income is multiplied by a fixed percentage set by the number of children — 17/25/29/31/34% for one through five-or-more children — unlike income-shares states, the receiving parent's income is not combined into the base calculation. DCF 150 layers separate formulas on top of this base percentage for shared placement (DCF 150.03(2)), split placement, serial-family payers (DCF 150.03), and high-income (DCF 150.035, added 1995) or low-income payers (DCF 150.04, tied to the Federal Poverty Level).
Statutory basis: Wis. Admin. Code ch. DCF 150; Wis. Stat. § 767.511. Exact figure: official Wisconsin calculator.
Wisconsin Guideline Percentages
| Children | Share of the paying parent's (payer's) gross monthly income from all sources |
|---|---|
| 1 | 17% |
| 2 | 25% |
| 3 | 29% |
| 4 | 31% |
| 5 | 34% |
Worked Example
Base case (below the high-income threshold): payer's gross income = $5,000/month, 2 children → $5,000 × 25% = $1,250/month child support (DCF 150.03). High-income case: payer's gross income = $10,000/month (~$120,000/yr), 2 children → first $7,000/month (up to the $84,000/yr threshold) at the full 25% = $1,750, plus the next $3,000/month (between $84,000–$150,000/yr) at the reduced 20% high-income rate = $600 → total ≈ $2,350/month (DCF 150.035).
When Courts Deviate From the Guideline
- The financial resources of the child
- The financial resources of both parents
- Maintenance (spousal support) received by either party
- The standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the marriage not ended
- The award of substantial periods of physical placement to both parents
- The child's physical, mental, and emotional health needs, including educational needs and the cost of health insurance
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Wisconsin cap the income used to calculate child support?
No. There is no hard statutory income cap. The full percentage (17/25/29/31/34%) applies up to $84,000/year of the payer's gross income; between $84,000 and $150,000/year a reduced rate (about 80% of standard) applies, and above $150,000/year an even lower rate (about 60% of standard) applies to all further income — but the percentage never drops to zero, no matter how high the income (DCF 150.035).
What counts as income for Wisconsin child support?
Gross income includes wages, salary, bonuses, commissions, overtime, self-employment earnings, investment and rental income, Social Security disability/retirement, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, and military allowances. It excludes child support received for other children, SSI, and means-tested public assistance such as FoodShare and W-2 payments (DCF 150.02).
How does shared physical placement affect the child support amount?
When both parents have court-ordered placement of at least 25% of overnights (92+ nights per year), the DCF 150.03(2) shared-placement formula applies instead of the straight percentage standard: each parent's obligation is calculated on their own income and offset in proportion to their share of placement time, so typically only the higher-earning parent pays the net difference — usually reducing the payment compared to a standard order.
Until what age does child support run in Wisconsin, and does it cover college?
Support generally continues until the child turns 18, or 19 if the child is still pursuing a high school diploma or HSED. Wisconsin's guideline formula does not include a built-in college-expense component, though parents can agree to additional support for post-secondary education separately.