People younger than full retirement age (67 for many) who are receiving Social Security retirement benefits can earn up to a certain amount from work before the Social Security Administration reduces their benefits. The limit is $24,480 in 2026 and $25,560 in 2027. There is no earnings cap after hitting full retirement age.
If this is the year you hit full retirement age, however, the rules are a little different. Also, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments have their own rules.
How much you can earn while on Social Security
Whether the Social Security Administration's rules around working while you’re receiving Social Security retirement benefits apply to you will depend on your age and how much you earn. Here are some key things to know.
If you’re younger than full retirement age during the whole year
Earnings cap: The limit is $24,480 in 2026 and $25,560 in 2027.
What gets held back: 50% of anything you earn over the cap.
How it works: The Social Security Administration deducts $1 from your Social Security check for every $2 you earn above the cap. For example, $26,560 of earnings in 2027 would generate a $500 reduction in a person’s Social Security retirement benefit for the year.
However, you can still get full Social Security checks if for the remainder of the year after you retire you earn less than $2,040 a month and don’t spend more than 45 hours a month on self-employment (15 hours if it’s a “highly skilled occupation”).
After that first year, you’re subject to the annual limit until you hit full retirement age.
NerdWallet Wealth Partners created a free calculator to estimate your financial independence number, see where you stand, and find out how much you might need to close the gap.
If this is the year you will hit full retirement age
Earnings cap: In 2026 the income limit in the year a person reaches full retirement age is $65,160; in 2027 it is $67,920.
What gets held back: 33% of anything over the cap.
How it works: The Social Security Administration deducts $1 from your Social Security check for every $3 you earn in the months before your birthday above the income limit.
This special rule exists because sometimes people who retire in the middle of the year have already earned more than the limit.
However, you can still get full Social Security checks for the remainder of the year after you retire if you earn less than $5,430 a month in 2026 or $5,660 in 2027 and don’t spend more than 45 hours a month on self-employment (15 hours if it’s a “highly skilled occupation”).
The year after you hit full retirement age
After the year in which you hit full retirement age, there is no limit on what you can earn while collecting Social Security retirement benefits.
NerdWallet Wealth Partners created a free calculator to estimate your financial independence number, see where you stand, and find out how much you might need to close the gap.
Things to remember about working while on Social Security
Here are three things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about working while receiving Social Security retirement benefits.
1. Know what your full retirement age is
This is the age at which you are entitled to receive 100% of your Social Security retirement benefit. If you elect to start receiving Social Security retirement benefits before you reach full retirement age, the Social Security Administration can permanently reduce your monthly check by up to 30% (if you claim at 62). Waiting past full retirement age can increase your benefit. The right choice depends on your health, income needs and other resources.
Your full retirement age is also the age at which there’s no cap on what you can earn while receiving benefits.
The Social Security Administration determines your full retirement age based on when you were born. For many (but not all) people, full retirement age is 67.
Full retirement age for Social Security
Year you were born | Full retirement age | If you start receiving benefits at 62, your retirement benefit is reduced by... |
|---|---|---|
1943 through 1954 | 66. | 25%. |
1955 | 66 and 2 months. | 25.83%. |
1956 | 66 and 4 months. | 26.67%. |
1957 | 66 and 6 months. | 27.5%. |
1958 | 66 and 8 months. | 28.33%. |
1959 | 66 and 10 months. | 29.17%. |
1960 and later | 67. | 30%. |
2. Understand how the limits are enforced
If you earn too much, the Social Security Administration gets its payment by withholding your benefits.
The Social Security Administration generally withholds full monthly payments until the amount owed is covered. If it withholds more than you owed, it refunds the difference.
For example, if the Social Security Administration withholds your regular $1,200 monthly retirement benefit is normally $1,200 per month to cover $500 owed, it would typically refund the extra $700 later. Timing can vary.
3. You may (or may not) get some back
Your benefit may be recalculated later if you had earnings held back before you reach full retirement age.
If you retire early and the Social Security Administration withholds some of your benefits because you earned too much, it recalculates your benefit to reincorporate those withheld benefits when you hit full retirement age, meaning you could get a higher benefit later. How much you receive depends on your situation.
For spouses and survivors who receive benefits because they have children in their care who are minors or have disabilities, there is no increase in benefits at full retirement age if benefits were withheld because of work.
What counts as income?
The Social Security Administration considers these things income when determining whether you exceeded the income limit.
Wages earned by working for someone else.
Net earnings from self-employment.
Contributions you make to a pension or retirement plan if the contribution is included in your gross wages.
These things don’t count as income when determining whether you exceeded the income limit:
Other government benefits.
Investment earnings.
Interest.
Pensions.
Annuities.
Capital gains.
Article sources
- 1.Social Security Administration. Receiving Benefits While Working. Accessed Oct 14, 2026.
- 2.Social Security Administration. How We Deduct Earnings From Benefits. Accessed Oct 14, 2026.
- 3.Social Security Administration. Special Earnings Limit Rule. Accessed Oct 14, 2026.
- 4.Social Security Administration. Starting Your Retirement Benefits Early. Accessed Oct 14, 2026.
- 5.Social Security Administration. How Work Affects Your Benefits. Accessed Oct 14, 2026.
- 5.Social Security Administration. How Work Affects Your Benefits. Accessed Oct 14, 2026.
- 5.Social Security Administration. How Work Affects Your Benefits. Accessed Oct 14, 2026.
