Social Security Earnings Test Calculator
Working while collecting Social Security before full retirement age? See how much of your benefit would be withheld this year, and how you get credit for it later.
If you collect Social Security and work before full retirement age, SSA withholds part of your benefit once your earnings pass an annual limit. In 2026 the limit is $24,480 if you are under full retirement age all year, or $65,160 in the year you reach it. Above the limit, $1 is withheld for every $2 you earn, or for every $3 in the year you reach full retirement age. From the month you reach full retirement age there is no limit, and your benefit is raised to give credit for the months that were withheld.
Enter your date of birth, your monthly Social Security benefit and what you expect to earn this year. The calculator shows how much would be withheld and when the withholding stops.
Calculate Your Withholding
Your Result
Earnings Limit
Amount Over Limit
Checks Withheld
Who the test applies to. People who are working, already collecting Social Security, and under full retirement age.
| Your situation in 2026 | Earnings limit | Withheld above the limit |
|---|---|---|
| Under full retirement age all year | $24,480 | $1 for every $2 |
| Reaching full retirement age this year | $65,160, counting only the months before you reach it | $1 for every $3 |
| At or past full retirement age | No limit | Nothing |
Example. You are 63, your benefit is $1,500 a month, and you expect to earn $34,480. That is $10,000 over the limit, so $5,000 is withheld. SSA withholds whole monthly payments until the amount is covered, which here means the first four payments of the year. A small refund for the difference follows later.
How the withholding happens. SSA does not take a little from each check. It holds back entire monthly payments from the start of the year, or from when your benefit begins, until the amount is covered. Then it pays normally. Plan your budget for those months. Tell SSA your expected earnings early, and again if they change, so the withholding matches and you do not end up with an overpayment to repay.
You get credit later. When you reach full retirement age, SSA recalculates your benefit as if you had claimed later by the number of months withheld. Your monthly payment is higher from then on.
What counts. Gross wages and net self-employment income count. Pensions, investment income, IRA and 401(k) withdrawals and the benefit itself do not.
First year of benefits. In the calendar year you start benefits, SSA can apply a monthly version of the test, so pay you earned before you retired does not count against you. This calculator does not model that rule. See the first-year earnings rule if you are retiring partway through a year.
SSA announces the 2027 limits with the cost-of-living adjustment in mid-October 2026. This calculator will be updated when the figures are published.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Social Security earnings test?
It is a rule that withholds part of your Social Security benefit if you collect it while working, are under full retirement age, and earn more than an annual limit. It applies only before full retirement age. After that you can earn any amount with no reduction.
How much can I earn in 2026 without losing benefits?
If you are under full retirement age all year, the 2026 limit is $24,480, and $1 of benefits is withheld for every $2 above it. If you reach full retirement age during 2026, the limit is $65,160, it counts only earnings in the months before you reach that age, and $1 is withheld for every $3 above it. From full retirement age there is no limit.
Do I actually lose the withheld benefits forever?
No. When you reach full retirement age, SSA recalculates your benefit to give credit for the months that were withheld, as if you had claimed later. Your monthly payment is higher from then on, which makes up the difference over time.
Does the earnings test apply after full retirement age?
No. From the month you reach full retirement age, you can earn any amount from work with no reduction in your Social Security benefit.
What counts as earnings for the Social Security earnings test?
Gross wages from a job and net self-employment income. Social Security benefits, pensions, annuities, IRA and 401(k) withdrawals, investment income, interest, dividends and capital gains do not count.
This calculator uses the official 2026 SSA retirement earnings test exempt amounts ($24,480 under full retirement age all year, $65,160 in the year you reach it). It does not model the special monthly rule that can apply in your first year of benefits. It does not apply to SSDI, which uses Substantial Gainful Activity and Trial Work Period rules, or to SSI, which is a separate needs-based program. This is a general estimate, not a benefits determination. Check your situation with SSA before you make decisions about work.