Social Security Calculator
Updated October 2026 · 2026 figures from the Social Security Administration and IRS
This Social Security calculator estimates your monthly retirement benefit at every age from 62 to 70 using the 2026 formula: your highest 35 years of earnings, the 2026 bend points ($1,286 and $7,749) and the claiming-age reductions and credits. Claiming at 62 cuts your check by up to 30%; waiting to 70 raises it by up to 24% (born 1960 or later).
Most Social Security calculators show a single age. Enter four numbers in this Social Security calculator and you'll see your estimate, your full retirement age and a side-by-side table with lifetime totals at 80 and 90 — the comparison most free tools skip.
Estimate your benefit
How this Social Security calculator works
The calculator follows the same three steps the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses, simplified so you don't need your full earnings history:
- Average earnings: your yearly earnings (capped at the 2026 taxable maximum of $184,500) × your years of work, spread over 35 years and divided by 12. Missing years count as zeros. This is your AIME.
- Full benefit (PIA): 90% of the first $1,286 of AIME, plus 32% of AIME between $1,286 and $7,749, plus 15% above $7,749 (Federal Register, Nov. 3, 2025).
- Claiming age: 5/9 of 1% less for each of the first 36 months before full retirement age and 5/12 of 1% for each extra month; 2/3 of 1% more for each month you wait past it, up to 70.
Because you enter earnings in today's dollars, the result is in today's dollars too. The step-by-step math, with a worked example, is in our guide to how Social Security benefits are calculated.
Monthly benefit by claiming age
The age you start benefits changes your check for the rest of your life. For anyone born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67:
2026 benefit amounts to compare your estimate with
| Benefit (2026) | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Average retired worker (January 2026) | $2,071 |
| Average aged couple, both receiving | $3,208 |
| Average aged widow(er) alone | $1,919 |
| Average disabled worker | $1,630 |
| Maximum, claiming at 62 in 2026 | $2,969 |
| Maximum at full retirement age | $4,152 |
| Maximum, claiming at 70 in 2026 | $5,181 |
Sources: SSA 2026 COLA fact sheet; SSA maximum-benefit examples. Benefits rose 2.8% in January 2026 with the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
Should I claim at 62, 67 or 70?
There's no single right age: claiming later pays more per month, claiming earlier pays for more months. Use the "Total by age 80" and "Total by age 90" columns in the Social Security calculator above to see where waiting starts to pay off — for most people, waiting from 62 to 70 breaks even somewhere around age 80 to 81.
Claiming early can make sense if…
you need the income now, have health problems or a short family life expectancy, or you're single and have little other savings to bridge the gap.
Waiting usually pays if…
you're healthy, can live on savings or work income, or you're the higher earner in a marriage — your check becomes your spouse's survivor benefit.
Why a Social Security calculator may differ from SSA's estimate
- Real earnings history: SSA indexes each year's pay to wage growth up to age 60. Uneven careers (part-time years, a late-career raise) change the average.
- Future earnings: SSA's own estimate assumes you keep earning about what you earn now until you claim.
- Medicare premiums: if you're on Medicare, the 2026 Part B premium of $202.90 is usually deducted from your check (see Medicare Part B costs).
- Government pensions: the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset were repealed by the Social Security Fairness Act in January 2025, so they no longer cut benefits.
For an exact figure based on your record, open your Social Security Statement. Once you've decided, our guide on how to apply for Social Security walks you through the application.
Frequently asked questions
How much Social Security will I get if I make $60,000 a year?
If you earn about $60,000 a year in today's dollars for 35 years, the 2026 formula gives a full retirement age benefit of about $2,345 a month, about $1,642 at 62 and about $2,908 at 70 (full retirement age 67). Your real amount depends on your exact earnings record.
What is the maximum Social Security benefit in 2026?
$4,152 a month at full retirement age, $2,969 for someone claiming at 62 in 2026 and $5,181 at 70. You only get the maximum if you earned at least the taxable maximum for 35 years.
How many years do you need to work to get Social Security?
You need 40 credits — about 10 years of work — to qualify for retirement benefits. In 2026 you earn one credit for each $1,890 of earnings, up to four a year. The benefit amount is based on your highest 35 years.
Is this Social Security calculator accurate?
It uses SSA's 2026 formula and claiming-age rules, so it's a good planning estimate. It can't see your real earnings record, so for an exact figure check your Social Security Statement at ssa.gov.
Does working longer increase Social Security?
Yes, if a new year of earnings is higher than one of the 35 years now counted (zero years count). Each month you delay claiming past full retirement age also adds 2/3 of 1%, up to age 70.