Social Security Calculator

Benefit estimate · Claiming age 62 to 70 · Break even · Spouse

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👴 Enter your birth year, earnings, and claiming age to estimate your Social Security benefit.

Estimated monthly benefit

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Full benefit (PIA)

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Full retirement age

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Claiming adjustment

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Yearly benefit

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AIME

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Lifetime total

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Break even vs age 62

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Spouse benefit

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Household monthly

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Step by step

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Benefit at every claiming age

Age	Monthly	% of PIA	Lifetime total

Cumulative benefits by age

What This Social Security Calculator Shows

Social Security retirement benefits replace part of your working income for life, adjusted each year for inflation. How much you receive depends on two things: how much you earned over your career and the age at which you start benefits.

This Social Security calculator estimates your primary insurance amount (PIA), the monthly benefit at full retirement age, using the Social Security Administration's benefit formula. It then shows how claiming at any age from 62 to 70 raises or lowers that amount, calculates lifetime totals and break even ages, and adds an optional spousal benefit. All amounts are in today's dollars.

For the most accurate figure based on your actual earnings history, sign in to your my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Use this tool to understand the rules and compare claiming strategies.

How Social Security Benefits Are Calculated

Step 1: Average indexed monthly earnings

AIME = top 35 years of indexed earnings ÷ 420 420 = 35 years × 12 months; missing years count as zero $65,000 × 35 ÷ 420 = $5,416

Step 2: Primary insurance amount (2026 bend points)

PIA = 90% of AIME up to $1,286 + 32% of AIME from $1,286 to $7,749 + 15% of AIME above $7,749 $1,157.40 + $1,321.60 = $2,479.00

Step 3: Adjust for claiming age

Early: −5/9% per month (first 36), −5/12% after Delayed: +2/3% per month (8% a year) up to age 70 At 62 with FRA 67: $2,479 × 70% = $1,735

The bend point formula is progressive: lower earners get a larger share of their earnings replaced. Earnings above the yearly taxable maximum ($184,500 in 2026) are not taxed for Social Security and do not count toward benefits.

Full Retirement Age by Birth Year

Birth year	Full retirement age	Benefit at 62
1943 to 1954	66	75%
1955	66 and 2 months	74.2%
1956	66 and 4 months	73.3%
1957	66 and 6 months	72.5%
1958	66 and 8 months	71.7%
1959	66 and 10 months	70.8%
1960 and later	67	70%

People born on January 1 use the previous year.

Estimated benefits by earnings (FRA 67)

Yearly earnings	At 62	At 67	At 70
$30,000	$1,082	$1,545	$1,916
$50,000	$1,455	$2,079	$2,577
$65,000	$1,735	$2,479	$3,073
$100,000	$2,319	$3,313	$4,108

35 years of steady earnings in today's dollars, using 2026 bend points.

Worked Example: When Should You Claim?

Take a worker born in 1975 who earned about $65,000 a year (in today's dollars) for 35 years. Her AIME is $5,416 and her PIA is $2,479 a month at her full retirement age of 67.

Claim at	Monthly	% of PIA	Total to age 85
62	$1,735	70%	$478,860
67	$2,479	100%	$535,464
70	$3,073	124%	$553,140

Claiming at 62 brings in money five years sooner, but waiting until 67 pays $744 more every month. The two choices break even at about age 78.7. Waiting until 70 instead of claiming at 62 breaks even at about age 80.4, and waiting from 67 to 70 breaks even at about 82.5.

If she lives to 85, claiming at 70 produces the largest lifetime total. If she expects a shorter life or needs the income earlier, claiming sooner can make sense. The age table in the results marks the best lifetime total for the life expectancy you enter.

Factors that favor claiming early or delaying

Health and family history: a longer expected lifespan makes delaying more valuable.
Other savings: if retirement accounts can cover the gap years, delaying locks in a larger inflation adjusted income for life.
Work plans: claiming early while still earning a full salary may trigger the earnings test.
Marital status: the higher earner's claiming age also sets the survivor benefit.
Need for income now: claiming early can be the right choice if the money is needed to cover essential expenses.

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For married couples, the higher earner delaying to 70 also raises the survivor benefit, because a surviving spouse can receive the larger of the two benefits.

Spousal and Survivor Benefits

A spouse can receive up to 50% of the worker's PIA at the spouse's own full retirement age. If the spouse has their own work record, Social Security pays their own benefit first, plus any amount needed to reach the spousal level.

Early spousal claim: reduced by 25/36 of 1% per month for the first 36 months and 5/12 of 1% after, so 65% of the full spousal amount at 62 with FRA 67.
No delay credits: spousal benefits stop growing at the spouse's full retirement age.
Survivor benefits: a widow or widower can receive up to 100% of the deceased worker's benefit, including delayed credits.
Divorced spouses: may qualify on an ex spouse's record if the marriage lasted at least 10 years.

Working, Taxes, and Cost of Living Increases

Earnings test

If you claim before full retirement age and keep working, Social Security withholds $1 of benefits for every $2 you earn above a yearly limit ($24,480 in 2026). In the year you reach full retirement age, $1 is withheld for every $3 above a higher limit. Withheld benefits are added back after full retirement age.

Taxes on benefits

Up to 50% of benefits can be taxable when combined income (adjusted gross income plus nontaxable interest plus half your benefits) exceeds $25,000 for single filers or $32,000 for joint filers, and up to 85% above $34,000 or $44,000.

Cost of living adjustments

Benefits rise each year with inflation, measured by the CPI for urban wage earners. This calculator shows today's dollars, so future checks will be larger in nominal terms.

Common Mistakes When Estimating Social Security

Assuming 35 years when you worked fewer. Each missing year counts as zero and lowers your AIME.
Using nominal past salaries. Older earnings are indexed to wage growth, so enter your typical pay in today's dollars.
Ignoring the survivor impact. Claiming early as the higher earner permanently lowers what a surviving spouse receives.
Forgetting the earnings test. Working while claiming early can temporarily withhold benefits.
Treating the estimate as exact. Your official record, future law changes, and COLAs all affect the final amount.

To plan the rest of your retirement income, try the retirement calculator, the 401(k) calculator, or the Roth IRA calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is my Social Security benefit calculated?

Your top 35 years of indexed earnings are averaged into AIME. For 2026 eligibility, the PIA is 90% of the first $1,286 of AIME, 32% up to $7,749, and 15% above. The PIA is then adjusted for your claiming age.

How much does claiming Social Security at 62 reduce my benefit?

With a full retirement age of 67, claiming at 62 cuts your benefit by 30% for life. A $2,479 full benefit becomes about $1,735.

How much more do I get if I wait until 70?

Each year past full retirement age adds 8%, so claiming at 70 with an FRA of 67 pays 124% of your PIA. A $2,479 benefit becomes about $3,073. There is no gain from waiting past 70.

What is the break even age for delaying Social Security?

For a $2,479 PIA, waiting from 62 to 67 breaks even around 78.7, and from 62 to 70 around 80.4. If you expect to live longer than that, delaying usually pays more over your lifetime.

How much is the Social Security spousal benefit?

Up to 50% of the worker's PIA at the spouse's full retirement age, reduced if claimed earlier. A spouse with their own benefit receives their own amount plus any difference up to the 50% level.

Sources & References

Social Security Administration, Benefit Formula Bend Points. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/bendpoints.html
Social Security Administration, Benefit Reduction for Early Retirement. https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/agereduction.html
Social Security Administration, Delayed Retirement Credits. https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/delayret.html
Social Security Administration, Contribution and Benefit Base. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html
Social Security Administration, Receiving Benefits While Working. https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/whileworking.html
Social Security Administration, Income Taxes and Your Social Security Benefit. https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/taxes.html

This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Results are estimates based on the information entered; your official benefit is determined by the Social Security Administration. Reference data reviewed: 2026.