Although you need at least 10 years of work (40 credits) to qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, we base the amount of your benefit on your highest 35 years of earnings.
Anyone born in 1929 or later needs 10 years of work (40 credits) to be eligible for retirement benefits.
If you stop work before you start receiving benefits and you have less than 35 years of earnings, your benefit amount is affected. We use a zero for each year without earnings when we calculate the amount of retirement benefits you are due. Years with no earnings reduces your retirement benefit amount.
Key Takeaways. Qualifying for Social Security requires 10 years of work or 40 work credits. For someone at full retirement age (FRA), the maximum benefit is $3,345.
We: Base Social Security benefits on your lifetime earnings. Adjust or “index” your actual earnings to account for changes in average wages since the year the earnings were received. Calculate your average indexed monthly earnings during the 35 years in which you earned the most.
For 2022, the special minimum benefit starts at $45.50 for someone with 11 years of coverage and goes to $950.80 for workers with 30 years of coverage. A financial advisor can help you plan your retirement taking into account your Social Security benefits.
So what happens if you don't have enough credits for Social Security? You can get Social Security Disability benefits even if you do not have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI. The SSA offers the SSI program to disabled adults and children who have limited financial resources.
If you make $120,000, here's your calculated monthly benefit
Assuming that you earn an inflation-adjusted $120,000 for at least 35 years, and that the maximum taxable Social Security wage base is $120,000 or higher during these years, this would translate to a lifetime monthly average of $10,000.
The only people who can legally collect benefits without paying into Social Security are family members of workers who have done so. Nonworking spouses, ex-spouses, offspring or parents may be eligible for spousal, survivor or children's benefits based on the qualifying worker's earnings record.
For 2022, the special minimum benefit starts at $45.50 for someone with 11 years of coverage and goes to $950.80 for workers with 30 years of coverage. A financial advisor can help you plan your retirement taking into account your Social Security benefits.
Social Security offers a monthly benefit check to many kinds of recipients. As of June 2022, the average check is $1,542.22, according to the Social Security Administration – but that amount can differ drastically depending on the type of recipient.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) defines “enough work” as earning 40 Social Security credits. More specifically, in 2022, an individual receives one credit for each $1,510 in income, and they can earn a maximum of four credits per year. So, 40 credits are roughly equal to 10 years of work.
A good retirement income is about 80% of your pre-retirement income before leaving the workforce. For example, if your pre-retirement income is $5,000 you should aim to have a $4,000 retirement income.
A special monthly rule
A special rule applies to your earnings for one year, usually your first year receiving retirement benefits. Under this rule, you can get a full Social Security payment for any month you earn under a certain limit, regardless of your yearly earnings.
Earn 40 credits to become fully insured
If you earn four credits a year, then you will earn 40 credits after 10 years of work. Each year the amount of earnings needed to earn one credit goes up slightly as average wages increase.
Social Security Benefits: Retirement, Disability, Dependents, and Survivors (OASDI)
The amount of the benefit which can be paid is contingent on the number of earnings years which were over the threshold. In December of 2021, an individual with 11 years of coverage would have a benefit of $45.50 while an individual with 30 years of coverage would have a benefit of $950.80.
That adds up to $2,096.48 as a monthly benefit if you retire at full retirement age. Put another way, Social Security will replace about 42% of your past $60,000 salary. That's a lot better than the roughly 26% figure for those making $120,000 per year.
For example, the AARP calculator estimates that a person born on Jan. 1, 1960, who has averaged a $50,000 annual income would get a monthly benefit of $1,338 if they file for Social Security at 62, $1,911 at full retirement age (in this case, 67), or $2,370 at 70.
Some people who get Social Security must pay federal income taxes on their benefits. However, no one pays taxes on more than 85% percent of their Social Security benefits. You must pay taxes on your benefits if you file a federal tax return as an “individual” and your “combined income” exceeds $25,000.
The maximum benefit depends on the age you retire. For example, if you retire at full retirement age in 2022, your maximum benefit would be $3,345. However, if you retire at age 62 in 2022, your maximum benefit would be $2,364. If you retire at age 70 in 2022, your maximum benefit would be $4,194.
Social Security benefits are typically computed using "average indexed monthly earnings." This average summarizes up to 35 years of a worker's indexed earnings.