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.
We base your retirement benefit on your highest 35 years of earnings and the age you start receiving benefits.
Social Security replaces a percentage of your pre-retirement income based on their lifetime earnings. The portion of your pre-retirement wages that Social Security replaces is based on your highest 35 years of earnings and varies depending on how much you earn and when you choose to start benefits.
Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME)
After we determine the number of years, we choose those years with the highest indexed earnings, sum such indexed earnings, and divide the total amount by the total number of months in those years. We then round the resulting average amount down to the next lower dollar amount.
You need to earn at least the taxable maximum each year for 35 years to get the maximum possible Social Security payment. If you don't work for 35 years, zeros are averaged into your calculation and will decrease your Social Security payments.
You currently have fewer than the 40 credits needed to become fully insured for retirement benefits. You can still earn credits and become fully insured if you work. We cannot pay you benefits if you don't have enough credits.
If you earn $75,000 per year, you can expect to receive $2,358 per month -- or about $28,300 annually -- from Social Security.
No Income For Each Year Up To 35
If you only worked for a minimum of ten years, it is unlikely that you'll be able to receive social security benefits. Benefits are based upon a minimum of 35 working years before your monthly average income can be calculated.
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.
Workers who don't accrue the requisite 40 credits (roughly 10 years of employment) are not eligible for Social Security.
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.
California. In America's most populous state, some 4.3 million retirees who collect Social Security can expect to receive an average $1,496.13 per month from the program in 2020, or $17,953.56 over the course of the year. California is another state where benefits are below average for the U.S.
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.
If you make approximately $50,000 per year and retire at 66, you will earn an average of $1,592 per month. However, if you were to choose to retire earlier, at 62 for example, you'd only earn an average of $1,075 per month. And if you waited until 70, you'd receive double that, at $2,081 per month.
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.
To qualify for retirement benefits, you need 40 Social Security credits. You earn credits by paying Social Security tax on your income, and you can earn up to four per year. In 2022, $1,510 in earnings equals one credit; you earn four credits after making $6,040 for the year.
In short, your primary benefit amount is $2,982.97 per month. That's what you'll receive if you wait until your full retirement age, which for someone born in 1955 will be 66 years and two months.
You expect to withdraw 4% each year, starting with a $24,000 withdrawal in Year One. Your money earns a 5% annual rate of return while inflation stays at 2.9%. Based on those numbers, $600,000 would be enough to last you 30 years in retirement.
There is a special rule that applies to earnings for one year, usually the first year of retirement. Under this rule, you can get a full Social Security benefit for any whole month you are retired, regardless of your yearly earnings.
According to the SSA's 2021 Annual Statistical Supplement, the monthly benefit amount for retired workers claiming benefits at age 62 earning the average wage was $1,480 per month for the worker alone.