In 2026, Social Security retirement beneficiaries under full retirement age (FRA) all year can earn up to $24,480 before the earnings test reduces benefits. If you reach FRA during 2026, the limit is $65,160, and it applies only to earnings before the month you reach FRA. From that month onward, there is no earnings limit for retirement benefits. These are benefit-withholding thresholds, not limits on how much you are allowed to work or earn.
2026 Social Security earnings limits at a glance
| Your age status in 2026 | Counted earnings threshold | How benefits are withheld |
|---|---|---|
| Below FRA for the entire year | $24,480 for the year | $1 in benefits for every $2 earned above the threshold |
| You reach FRA during 2026 | $65,160, counting only earnings before the month you reach FRA | $1 in benefits for every $3 earned above the threshold |
| FRA month and later | No earnings limit beginning with the month you reach FRA | Earnings no longer trigger the retirement earnings test |
The Social Security Administration (SSA) updates these amounts. For comparison, the under-FRA limit was $23,400 in 2025 and is $24,480 in 2026; the limit for the year someone reaches FRA rose from $62,160 to $65,160. SSA’s work and retirement benefits guidance provides the current rules and figures.
What the SSA counts as earnings
For the retirement earnings test, SSA generally counts income from work: wages from a job and net earnings from self-employment. Wages include bonuses, commissions, and vacation pay. The test is not based on all household income or on taxable income as a whole.
Income that counts
- Wages from employment, including bonuses, commissions, and vacation pay.
- Net earnings from self-employment.
Income that does not count
- Pensions and annuities.
- Interest, dividends, and other investment income.
- Veterans benefits.
- Other government or military retirement benefits.
SSA also distinguishes Social Security-covered earnings on a work record from other income: wages and net self-employment income are covered; pensions, annuities, and interest or dividends from savings and investments are not. See its explanation of annuities and other income.
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How withholding works—and what happens at FRA
If your counted work earnings exceed the applicable exempt amount, SSA withholds some retirement benefits under the earnings test. The $24,480 and $65,160 figures are thresholds used to calculate withholding; they do not prohibit you from earning more. The withholding rate depends on whether you are below FRA all year or reach FRA during the year.
Beginning with the month you reach FRA, earnings no longer reduce retirement benefits under this test. SSA says it recalculates the monthly benefit at FRA to account for months in which benefits were withheld. Details are in SSA’s explanation of working while receiving retirement benefits.
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A special monthly rule may help in your first year
If you start benefits partway through a calendar year, your earnings earlier in that year may be higher than the annual threshold. SSA’s special rule can still allow a full benefit payment for a whole month it considers you retired, regardless of your total earnings for that year, if you meet the monthly test.
| Situation in 2026 | Monthly earnings figure under the special rule |
|---|---|
| Below FRA all year | $2,040 per month |
| Reaching FRA during 2026, for months before the FRA month | $5,430 per month |
For self-employed people, SSA also considers the services they perform in their business. It describes substantial services as more than 45 hours in a month, or 15 to 45 hours in a highly skilled occupation. The special rule and its conditions are explained in SSA’s retirement earnings test special rule.
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When earnings count can matter
For employees, wages generally count in the year they are earned, not necessarily the year they are paid. Deferred compensation for work performed in an earlier year—such as certain accumulated sick or vacation pay, bonuses, or stock options—may need to be assigned to the year the work was done. If you receive pay in one year for work performed in an earlier year, SSA advises contacting it about how those wages should be treated.
For self-employment, income generally counts when received, with an exception for income received after entitlement to Social Security but earned before entitlement. SSA discusses these timing rules in its 2026 earnings-test publication.
Check your FRA before applying a limit
Full retirement age depends on your birth year. SSA’s 2026 reference lists FRA as 66 for people born from 1943 through 1954, increasing in two-month increments for birth years 1955 through 1959, and 67 for people born in 1960 or later. Use SSA’s retirement age chart to identify your FRA and determine which 2026 rule applies.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.These limits are for retirement benefits, not every SSA program
The figures here apply to the Social Security retirement earnings test. Social Security disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) have different rules for work and earnings; do not use the retirement thresholds to estimate their effect. For an individual estimate, use SSA’s Retirement Earnings Test Calculator or Retirement Age Calculator, or contact SSA about your case.
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