Child Support by StateState guideline estimators

North Carolina · income shares

NC child support calculator

North Carolina child support is each parent’s share of a basic obligation from the 2023 schedule, based on combined gross income, plus child care and the children’s insurance. With gross incomes of $4,000 and $2,000 and one child, the schedule gives $1,010 and the paying parent owes $840.00 after add-ons.

Child Support by State editorial teamUpdated 6 sources

AOC-A-162 · guidelines effective Jan 1, 2023

NC child support calculator

North Carolina Child Support Guidelines (AOC-A-162, 2023): Worksheet A for primary custody, Worksheet B for shared custody.

Parent A and Parent B are just labels. With primary custody, the parent with fewer than 123 overnights a year pays.

Children in this case
Monthly gross incomeBefore taxes, from all sources. Self-employment: receipts minus ordinary business expenses.
of 365
Health insurance, child care and other children
Support paid for other children under an orderCurrent support actually paid each month (line 1a). Not arrears.
Other children of this parent living in their homeNatural or adopted children not in this case (line 1b).
Work-related child careMonthly, in the column of the parent who pays it.
Health insurance premium for these childrenOnly the children’s portion (medical, dental or vision).
Extraordinary expensesFor example special or private school for the child’s needs, or transportation between homes.

Example

Estimated guideline child support

$840.00per month

Parent B pays Parent A · about $194 a week

Worksheet

  1. 01WorksheetA: primary custody
  2. 02Parent A adjusted gross income$2,000.00
  3. 03Parent B adjusted gross income$4,000.00
  4. 04Combined adjusted gross income$6,000.00
  5. 05Basic child support obligation, 1 child$1,010.00
  6. 06Child care, health insurance and extraordinary expenses$400.00
  7. 07Total child support obligation$1,410.00
  8. 08Parent B’s share (66.67% of income)$940.00
  9. 09Minus add-ons Parent B pays directly−$100.00
  10. 10Recommended child support$840.00

Estimate under the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines (2023). The court can deviate with written findings. The NC DHHS online worksheet calculator is the official tool.

Schedule: AOC-A-162 Rev. 1/23, interpolated between $50 rows; $50 at or below $1,300 combined. Shaded area (Worksheet A): obligor’s income alone, no add-ons. Shared custody (Worksheet B): basic obligation × 1.5, each parent’s portion × the other parent’s share of overnights, the larger obligation pays the difference.

Try a common case:1 child · $6,000 + $4,000/mo2 children · $5,000 + $3,000/mo3 children · $9,000 + $5,000/moEqual time · 1 child · $6,000 + $4,000

How we checked it. All 775 schedule rows match the AOC-A-162 PDF, including the shaded low-income cells.

Known limits. Worksheet C (split custody) is not included; the 2023 guidelines publish no numeric examples.

Rules: Guidelines since Jan. 1, 2023 · Last checked November 13, 2026 · Download the official table (CSV)

How the NC child support calculator works

This NC child support calculator applies the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines, AOC-A-162, effective January 1, 2023 for cases heard on or after that date.[1][3] It chooses the worksheet from the overnights you enter:

  • Worksheet A, primary custody: one parent has the children at least 243 nights a year.
  • Worksheet B, shared custody: each parent has the children at least 123 nights a year and shares their expenses.
  • Worksheet C, split custody: each parent has primary custody of at least one child. This calculator does not cover split custody; use the state’s worksheet calculator.[4]

Income is gross income from all sources. Support actually paid for other children and the schedule amount for other children living in the parent’s home are subtracted to get adjusted gross income.[1]

The North Carolina schedule of basic support obligations

The schedule covers combined adjusted gross income from $1,300 to $40,000 a month; amounts between $50 rows are interpolated, and at or below $1,300 the obligation is $50.[1][2]

Selected rows of the 2023 schedule (monthly)
Combined adjusted gross income1 child2 children3 children4 children
$2,000$393$522$528$533
$3,000$566$863$1,043$1,165
$4,000$740$1,122$1,354$1,513
$6,000$1,010$1,524$1,826$2,040
$8,000$1,152$1,727$2,055$2,295
$10,000$1,292$1,913$2,247$2,510
$15,000$1,680$2,463$2,864$3,199

Above $40,000 a month the schedule does not apply and the court sets support from the children’s reasonable needs.[1]

Worksheet A example (primary custody)

With gross incomes of $4,000 (paying parent) and $2,000, one child, $300 of child care paid by the custodial parent and a $100 premium paid by the paying parent, Worksheet A gives $840.00 a month.

LineAmount
Combined adjusted gross income$6,000
Basic child support obligation (1 child)$1,010
Child care + health insurance$400
Total obligation$1,410
Paying parent’s share (66.67%)$940.00
Minus the premium the paying parent pays−$100.00
Recommended child support$840.00

Low income: the shaded area and the $50 minimum

If the paying parent’s own adjusted income falls in the shaded part of the schedule, support is computed from that parent’s income alone and child care and insurance are not added.[1][2] The shaded area runs up to $1,750 (1 child), $2,150 (2 children), $2,500 (3 children), $2,800 (4 children), $3,100 (5 children), $3,450 (6 children). Below $1,150 of income, the order is $50 a month unless the court deviates. The shaded area does not apply to shared or split custody.

Worksheet B: shared custody at 123 overnights

When each parent has at least 123 overnights a year, the basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5, each parent’s portion is multiplied by the share of overnights the children spend with the other parent, and the parent with the larger obligation pays the difference.[1] With gross incomes of $5,000 (200 overnights) and $3,000 (165 overnights) and two children, the higher earner pays $199.61 a month.

LineAmount
Parent A adjusted gross income$5,000.00
Parent B adjusted gross income$3,000.00
Combined adjusted gross income$8,000.00
Basic child support obligation, 2 children$1,727.00
Shared custody obligation (× 1.5)$2,590.50
Parent A owes for Parent B’s 165 overnights$731.90
Parent B owes for Parent A’s 200 overnights$532.29
Recommended child support$199.61

The guidelines describe the computation in words; the official Worksheet B form also nets child care and insurance between the parents, as this calculator does.[1][4]

Health insurance, child care and deviations

The schedule already includes $250 per child per year of uninsured medical costs; costs above that can be split in any proportion.[1] The court must order health insurance when it is available at reasonable cost, meaning no more than 5% of the parent’s gross income. A judge can deviate from the guideline amount after hearing evidence, with written findings that the guideline amount would not meet or would exceed the children’s reasonable needs or would otherwise be unjust.

Watch the date of your hearing. North Carolina reviews its guidelines every four years, and each edition applies to cases heard on or after its effective date. This calculator uses the edition effective January 1, 2023; we update it when the courts publish a new official schedule.

Official North Carolina calculator and agency

NC DHHS Child Support Services publishes the guidelines, the schedule and an online calculator for Worksheets A, B and C.[4][6]

Neighboring states use different cutoffs: Georgia adjusts for every overnight (Georgia child support calculator) and Florida starts at 73 overnights (Florida child support calculator). See all states on the child support calculator page.

An estimate, not an order. The judge decides the amount. Not legal advice; see our legal disclaimer.

Frequently asked questions

How much is child support in NC for 1 kid?

The paying parent’s share of the schedule amount plus add-ons. At $6,000 combined income the schedule amount for one child is $1,010; a parent earning two-thirds of that income owes about $673.33 before child care and insurance.

How many overnights is shared custody in North Carolina?

At least 123 overnights a year with each parent. Below that, Worksheet A applies with no reduction for visitation time.

Does North Carolina use gross income?

Yes. The guidelines use gross income from all sources, minus support actually paid for other children and a deduction for other children living in the home.

What is the minimum child support in NC?

$50 a month when the paying parent’s adjusted gross income is below $1,150, unless the court deviates.

Sources

  1. North Carolina Child Support Guidelines (AOC-A-162, Rev. 1/23) · NC Administrative Office of the Courts, published by NC DHHS Child Support Services, effective January 1, 2023
  2. Schedule of Basic Support Obligations (AOC-A-162, Rev. 1/23) · NC DHHS Child Support Services, effective January 1, 2023
  3. AOC-A-162, North Carolina Child Support Guidelines (PDF) · NC Administrative Office of the Courts, Rev. 1/23
  4. Child Support Guidelines calculator (Worksheets A, B and C) · NC DHHS Child Support Services, revised January 1, 2023
  5. Child Support Services Manual: Support Establishment · NC DHHS, Division of Social Services, April 7, 2026
  6. Child Support Services · NC Department of Health and Human Services, checked November 13, 2026