How to earn the biggest possible Social Security check — and why most don’t

Most people won’t receive the maximum Social Security benefit — and not because they don’t work hard enough. It’s because the formula is built to reward 35 years of very high earnings, plus delaying benefits until age 70.

For 2026, the maximum Social Security benefit at full retirement age (FRA) is $4,152 a month. That’s up from $4,018 in 2025, thanks to the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment announced in October. Delay claiming until 70, and your actual maximum benefit jumps to roughly $5,250 a month — though few beneficiaries ever reach that.

Here’s exactly what it takes, the math behind it and the salary you’d need to hit for decades to qualify.

⭐ Must read: 7 big changes coming to Social Security in 2026 (one that could shrink your check)

The maximum Social Security benefit in 2026

Here’s the most you can earn on Social Security based on government formulas and delayed retirement credits.

This means the maximum annual Social Security benefit at age 70 is: $5,250 × 12 = $63,000 per year

How the average benefit compares

In reality, the average Social Security benefit is nowhere near the maximum.

For 2026, the SSA projects:

• $2,071 each month for the average retired worker

• $3,208 each month for an aged couple both receiving benefits

• $3,898 each month for a widowed mother and two children

🔍 Read more: Married … or divorced? This little-known rule can boost your Social Security check

The formula: How Social Security calculates your benefits

Social Security doesn’t base your benefit on your last job or your highest two years of income.

Instead, the SSA:

• Takes your highest 35 years of earnings (nonconsecutive years are fine)

• Adjusts those earnings for wage growth over time

• Averages them into your AIME — average indexed monthly earnings

• Runs that number through a formula to determine your PIA — your primary insurance amount

Your PIA is what you’d receive at your full retirement age (FRA). Claiming early or delaying changes that amount:

• Claim at age 62, and you get about 30% less than your PIA.

• Claim at full retirement age, and you get 100% of your PIA.

• Delay until age 70, and you get up to 32% more than your PIA.

The percentage depends on your full retirement age. For someone born in 1960 or later (an FRA of 67), delaying to 70 adds 24% to your benefit. For someone born in the 1940s or early 1950s (an FRA of 66), waiting four years until age 70 results in a 32% increase.

That’s why the “maximum benefit” is always higher at age 70 than at FRA: You’re getting delayed retirement credits on top of your base benefit.

🔍 Read more: 8 key Social Security terms every retiree should know

The salary requirement: 35 years at the wage cap

To receive the maximum benefit allowed each year, you must earn at least the taxable wage base for 35 years — consecutive or not. That’s the annual income cap on how much of your earnings are subject to Social Security taxes.

For 2026, the wage cap is $184,500 — a bump from $176,100 in 2025.

This is the taxable maximum for the past 35 years. Earning even slightly below these caps in any of your top 35 years lowers your final benefit. This is why very few people hit the true maximum: You’d need to consistently earn at or above the cap throughout your entire career, which means earning in roughly the top 6% of workers for 35 years.

🔍 Read more: 9 states that still tax retirees’ Social Security (one that’s quitting in 2026)

Age 70: Why timing matters for maximum benefits

Earning at the wage cap alone isn’t enough. To reach the absolute ceiling of Social Security benefits, you delay claiming until age 70.

This is because Social Security permanently adjusts your benefit based on the age you start collecting:

• Claiming at 62 locks in a benefit reduced by about 30% for life — even if you earned the maximum for decades. The exact percentage depends on your birth year.

• Claiming at full retirement age gets you 100% of your earned benefit. For someone with maximum lifetime earnings, that’s $4,152 per month in 2026.

• Claiming at 70 earns delayed retirement credits that boost your benefit by 8% for each year past FRA. For those turning born in 1956 with an FRA of 66 years and 4 months), delaying until age 70 results in a 29.3% increase. This raises your maximum to roughly $5,250 per month.

📝 Example: What it takes to hit the maximum SSA benefit

Let’s use a hypothetical worker:

• Lisa earns at or above the taxable wage base (inflation-adjusted) for 35 years

• She avoids low-earning or zero-earning years

• She delays benefits until age 70

Lisa would qualify for roughly $5,250 per month in 2026. This includes delayed retirement credits beyond her FRA of 66 years and 4 months.

If Lisa claims at her FRA instead, she’d get $4,152 per month. This is 100% of her benefit based on 35 years of maximum earnings.

If Lisa claims at 62, her benefit would drop to about $2,900 a month. Her benefit is reduced by about 30% for claiming early.

🔍 Read more: 90% of Americans break this Social Security ‘rule’ — here’s why they’re right

Is it worth chasing the maximum benefit?

Earning the maximum benefit requires a level of income consistency many people never experience. But there are ways to increase your benefit, even if you won’t reach the top tier:

• Work at least 35 years. If you’ve worked fewer than 35 years, Social Security fills missing years with zeros, which lowers your benefit. Even part-time work can raise your average.

• Replace low-earning years with higher ones. If your early career earnings were low, working longer could help you “swap out” those years.

• Delay claiming if possible. Each year you delay past FRA boosts your benefit amount, up to age 70.

• Understand spousal and survivor benefits. Even if you don’t qualify for a high benefit on your own record, you may be eligible through a spouse.

🔍 Read more: The one Social Security step you need to take before 2025 ends

Bottom line: Boost your benefit without maxing out

Here’s the simplest answer: You need to earn the taxable wage maximum every year for 35 years (they don’t have to be consecutive) and wait until age 70 to claim.

In 2026, the wage cap is $184,500. To hit the maximum benefit, you’d need to consistently earn at that level for decades, adjusted for inflation.

If you fall below that cap in any of your top 35 earning years, you won’t reach the maximum benefit. But you can still substantially increase your Social Security check by boosting your earnings, working more years or delaying benefits until closer to age 70.

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About the writer

Cassidy Horton is a finance writer who specializes in banking, insurance, lending and paying down debt. Her expertise has been featured in NerdWallet, Forbes, MarketWatch, CNN, USA Today, Money, The Balance and Consumer Affairs, among other top financial publications. Cassidy first became interested in personal finance after paying off $18,000 in debt in 10 months of graduation with an MBA. Today, she’s committed to empowering people to stand up and take charge of their financial futures.

Article edited by Kelly Suzan Waggoner

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