Want to get the maximum Social Security benefit in 2026 and beyond? Here’s what you need to do to lock in the biggest check you can

Maximizing your Social Security benefit is extremely beneficial to your retirement, and the amount that you receive is not based on your salary alone. In fact, the size of your benefit check depends on a few factors — your age at retirement, for example, can greatly affect how much money you receive.

If you were to retire in 2025, your maximum benefit could fall anywhere between $2,831 and $5,108 per month, depending on your age. But there are other factors at play when it comes to maximizing your payout.

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If you want to lock in a fatter check for 2026 and beyond, here are a few ways you can boost your benefit.

Maximum benefit amounts in 2025

For most Americans, the full retirement age (FRA) is 67 — though, depending on when you were born, your FRA could actually be 66. Your age at retirement, in relation to your FRA, can greatly affect how much you receive in your benefit.

For example, if you were to retire at, say, 62 years old in 2025, your maximum benefit would be $2,831 per month. But if you retired in 2025 at your FRA, your maximum benefit would increase to $4,018 per month. Meanwhile, if you were to delay your Social Security benefit and retire in 2025 at the age of 70, your maximum benefit would jump even higher to $5,108 per month.

The estimated average monthly benefit for retired workers in 2025 is $1,976, which is up from $1,927 in 2024. That’s a bump of $49 per check — accounting for this year’s 2.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA).

The amount you receive from your benefit also depends on the group that you fall into. According to Social Security Administration (SSA) data, these are the estimated average monthly benefits for groups receiving Social Security:

• Married couple, with both spouses receiving benefits: $3,089 (an increase of $75)

• Widower: $1,832 (an increase of $44)

• Widower with two children: $3,761 (an increase of $92)

• Disabled worker: $1,580 (an increase of $38)

• Disabled worker with a spouse and one or more children: $2,826 (an increase of $69)

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How to max out your benefit

The estimated average monthly benefit of $1,976 is a far cry from the maximum benefit of $5,108 in 2025. Americans planning for retirement this year and beyond are surely going to want to hit that max, or position themselves to get as close to the max as they can.

Here are a few ways to bump up your benefit for 2026 and beyond.

Wait to claim your benefit

You can claim Social Security as early as 62 years old, but your benefit will be reduced by a certain percentage for each year you claim before your FRA. That means, if you claim your benefit at 62, you could see a permanent reduction in your check by up to 30%.

Meanwhile, you can claim 100% of your Social Security benefit if you wait until your FRA. Delaying your Social Security, if you can afford to do so, can significantly boost your benefit checks.

You can delay claiming your benefit up to the age of 70, and for each year you delay, you get a subsequent bump via a delayed retirement credit. So, to get the maximum benefit of $5,108 in 2025, you’d have to retire at 70.

While delaying your benefit could lock in a fatter check, it doesn’t always make sense. For example, if you have a health issue that impacts your ability to work, or if you’ve been diagnosed with an illness, you may choose to claim your benefit earlier than your FRA — even if that means a smaller monthly payout.

Work longer

The SSA calculates your monthly benefit according to your 35 highest-earning years. While you only need to work 10 years to qualify for Social Security, you’ll get a bigger benefit if you work at least 35 years.

If your career includes years when you didn’t work, the SSA’s calculations will give you a value of zero for those years, which brings down your overall average. So if you work for 25 years, the calculation is based on 25 years of earnings, plus 10 zeroes, for a total of 35 years.

If you want a bigger benefit check, you’ll want to avoid zeroes in your calculation. However, this could be challenging for anyone who’s been out of the workforce for a period of time, such as a parent who stayed at home to raise their kids. Life happens, and things like job loss, raising a family and health issues can all impact your ability to work.

Earn more money

One way to ensure a bigger benefit in retirement is to get a bigger paycheck during your working years. However, the SSA has an earnings cap, which means any amount that you make beyond the cap will not boost your future benefit.

The SSA’s annual taxable maximum income for 2025 is $176,100, which is a $7,500 increase from $168,600 in 2024. This means anything you make above $176,100 won’t change your future benefit.

Another benefit of working longer is that it gives you an opportunity to advance at your company and climb that corporate ladder, or even find a higher-paying job somewhere else. While this may be easier said than done, boosting your income can help to boost your retirement benefit.

Few Americans actually receive the maximum Social Security benefit — the median retirement age in the U.S. is 62, with seven in 10 Americans retiring earlier than 65, according to a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. But if you can find a way to earn more money, work longer and delay your Social Security claim past your FRA, you’ll be on your way to locking in a fatter benefit check.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.