# How much Social Security will I get?

Estimates your monthly Social Security retirement benefit from your average indexed monthly earnings or your PIA, with the early retirement reduction or delayed credits for the age you claim, and the earnings test.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/social-security-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/social-security-calculator.json
- Version: f1f063318b75

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Date of birth June 15, 1964, I know my Average indexed earnings, Average indexed monthly earnings $6,000.00, Claim at age (years) 67, And months 0): Claiming at 67 years and 0 months, your benefit is about $2,665.00 a month (100% of your PIA of $2,665.80).

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| birth | Date of birth | Your date of birth, from 2 January 1943. It sets your full retirement age and bend points. |
| known | I know my | Your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME), or your primary insurance amount (PIA): the benefit at full retirement age from your Social Security statement. |
| aime | Average indexed monthly earnings | Your highest 35 years of earnings, each indexed to wage growth, added up and divided by 420 months (AIME). |
| pia | Benefit at full retirement age (PIA) | Your primary insurance amount: the monthly benefit at full retirement age. |
| age | Claim at age (years) | The age at which you start your benefit, in whole years: 62 to 70. |
| months | And months | Months past that birthday, 0 to 11. Credits stop at age 70. |
| earnings | Earnings while claiming | Wages or self-employment earnings a year while you get benefits before full retirement age, for the 2026 earnings test. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| benefit | Monthly benefit | The monthly benefit at your claiming age, rounded down to the dollar, in today’s dollars. |
| yearly | A year | The monthly benefit times 12. |
| pia | Benefit at full retirement age (PIA) | Primary insurance amount, rounded down to the dime. |
| share | Share of the PIA | The monthly benefit before rounding as a percent of the PIA. |
| fra | Full retirement age | The age at which you get 100% of your PIA. |
| monthsFromFra | Months from full retirement age | Negative when you claim early (reduction months), positive when you delay (credit months). |
| bendYear | Bend points used | The bend points of the year you turn 62, or the latest (2026) for a later year. |
| withheld | Withheld a year for earnings | Benefits held back in a year before the year of full retirement age: $1 for every $2 of earnings above $24,480. |

## Method

PIA = 90% of AIME to the first bend point + 32% to the second + 15% above, down to the dime; benefit = PIA × (1 − 5/9% × first 36 early months − 5/12% × later early months), or × (1 + 2/3% × months after full retirement age, to 70), down to the dollar.

## Assumptions

- Uses the bend points of the year you turn 62; for 62 after 2026, the 2026 bend points, so the result is in today’s dollars.
- Cost-of-living adjustments from 62 on raise the real benefit and are not included.
- Delayed retirement credits of 8% a year (2/3 of 1% a month) apply to people born in 1943 or later, up to age 70.
- Claiming at exactly 62 needs you to be 62 for the whole month; most people can start at 62 and 1 month.
- The earnings test uses the 2026 lower exempt amount; in the year you reach full retirement age a higher amount ($65,160, $1 for every $3) applies, and withheld benefits raise your benefit later.
- Spousal and survivor benefits and the family maximum are not included.

## Worked examples

1. birth = 1960-06-15, known = pia, pia = $1,000.00, age = 62, months = 0 gives benefit = $700.00, share = 70%, monthsFromFra = -60, fra = 67. Source: SSA, Benefit Reduction for Early Retirement: born 1960 or later, age 62, $1,000 PIA gives $700.
2. birth = 1957-06-15, known = pia, pia = $1,000.00, age = 62, months = 0 gives benefit = $725.00, monthsFromFra = -54, fra = 66 and 6 months. Source: SSA, Benefit Reduction for Early Retirement: born 1957, 54 reduction months, $725.
3. birth = 1960-01-01, known = pia, pia = $1,000.00, age = 62, months = 0 gives benefit = $708.00, fra = 66 and 10 months. Source: SSA, Benefit Reduction for Early Retirement: a 1 January birthday uses the prior year of birth (1959: $708).
4. birth = 1960-06-15, known = pia, pia = $1,000.00, age = 70, months = 0 gives benefit = $1,240.00, share = 124%, monthsFromFra = 36. Source: SSA, Delayed Retirement Credits: 8% a year (2/3 of 1% a month) from 67 to 70 for births after 1942.
5. birth = 1964-06-15, known = aime, aime = $6,000.00, age = 67, months = 0, earnings = $30,000.00 gives pia = $2,665.80, benefit = $2,665.00. Source: SSA PIA formula with the 2026 bend points ($1,286 and $7,749).
6. birth = 1964-06-15, known = aime, aime = $6,000.00, age = 64, months = 0, earnings = $34,480.00 gives benefit = $2,132.00, withheld = $5,000.00. Source: ($34,480 − $24,480) ÷ 2 = $5,000 (SSA earnings test 2026).

## FAQ

### How is my Social Security benefit calculated?

SSA averages your highest 35 years of earnings, indexed to wage growth, into average indexed monthly earnings (AIME). Your primary insurance amount (PIA) is 90% of the first $1,286 of AIME, 32% of AIME up to $7,749, and 15% above that (2026 bend points). You get the PIA at full retirement age; claiming earlier lowers it and later raises it.

### How much less do I get if I claim at 62?

The benefit falls by 5/9 of 1% for each of the first 36 months before full retirement age and 5/12 of 1% for each month more. With a full retirement age of 67, claiming at 62 pays 70% of the PIA: a $1,000 PIA becomes $700 a month.

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

For people born in 1943 or later, each month you wait after full retirement age adds 2/3 of 1%, or 8% a year, up to age 70. With a full retirement age of 67, waiting until 70 pays 124% of the PIA.

### What is my full retirement age?

66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954, rising by 2 months a year to 67 for 1960 or later (66 and 2 months for 1955, up to 66 and 10 months for 1959). If you were born on 1 January, use the year before.

### What happens if I work while getting benefits?

Before the year you reach full retirement age, SSA holds back $1 of benefits for every $2 you earn above $24,480 (2026). In the year you reach it, the limit is $65,160 and $1 is held back for every $3, counting only months before that birthday. Benefits held back are not lost: your benefit is raised at full retirement age.

### Where do I find my AIME or PIA?

Your Social Security statement at ssa.gov/myaccount shows your earnings record and your estimated benefit at full retirement age, which is close to your PIA. SSA’s own calculators use your exact record.

## Sources

- Social Security Administration, Primary Insurance Amount (PIA formula and 2026 bend points): https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/piaformula.html
- Social Security Administration, Benefit Formula Bend Points (1979 to 2026): https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/bendpoints.html
- Social Security Administration, Benefit Reduction for Early Retirement: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/quickcalc/earlyretire.html
- Social Security Administration, Delayed Retirement Credits: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/delayret.html
- Social Security Administration, Exempt Amounts Under the Earnings Test (2026): https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/rtea.html