
What is the formula to determine social security?
With that in mind, the 2019 formula is:
- % of the first $926 of AIME.
- % of AIME greater than $926, but less than $5,583.
- % of AIME greater than $5,583.
How do you determine your Social Security benefit amount?
- For earnings that fall within the first band, you multiply by 90%. That is the first part of your benefit.
- For earnings that fall within the second band, you multiply by 32%. That is the second part of your benefit.
- For earnings that are greater than the maximum of the second band, you multiply by 15%. This is the third part of your benefit.
What is my estimated Social Security benefit?
My estimated benefit at full retirement is $2,920 ... Hi Larry, Is there any reason to not have January as your starting date for starting Social Security benefits? It’s starting in January, would you be entitled to the increase that most people get ...
How retirement benefits are calculated by Social Security?
Social Security calculators provided by other companies or non ... So failing to file tax returns could adversely affect a person's Social Security retirement or disability benefit rate. Furthermore, if and when a person claims Social Security benefits ...

Benefit Calculators
The best way to start planning for your future is by creating a my Social Security account online. With my Social Security, you can verify your earnings, get your Social Security Statement, and much more – all from the comfort of your home or office.
Online Benefits Calculator
These tools can be accurate but require access to your official earnings record in our database. The simplest way to do that is by creating or logging in to your my Social Security account. The other way is to answer a series of questions to prove your identity.
Additional Online Tools
Find your full retirement age and learn how your monthly benefits may be reduced if you retire before your full retirement age.
What is the purpose of the salary calculation?
The purpose of the calculation is to adjust your career earnings to reflect the changes in general wage levels that took place during the years of your career . The job that paid you, say, a $300 monthly income 40 years ago, would yield quite a bit more today.
What does Social Security say about adjustments?
Social Security says that the adjustments "ensure that a worker's future benefits reflect the general rise in the standard of living that occurred during his or her working lifetime."
What is the effect of Social Security on lower income earners?
The effect of these calculations is that a Social Security benefit "replaces" more of the income of lower-wage earners than it does for higher-wage earners. The effect is to help level the playing field in retirement between workers of different income levels.
How much is Medicare tax?
That tax is 6.2 percent of your wages up to a ceiling ($127,200 in 2017). Plus, your employer matches the 6.2 percent payment for a total of 12.4 percent of your wages. (You also pay 1.45 percent of your wages, with an employer match, for Medicare. And if you earn more than $200,000 a year, you'll pay an additional 0.9 percent Medicare tax — as part of the Affordable Care Act.)
What percentage of a spouse's Social Security benefit is a PIA?
If you're married, the PIA will also figure in any benefit amount that your spouse would be due, generally 50 percent of your PIA if the spouse turns on the tap at full retirement age. The PIA is also the basis of a survivor's benefit and a child's benefit.
How many years of work do you have to work to get Social Security?
It starts with Social Security examining your earnings history — with an emphasis on the money you earned during your 35 highest-paid years. That means that if you worked 40 years, Social Security would use your highest-paid 35 years in its calculations and ignore the other five.
How much do you need to earn to qualify for retirement?
To even be eligible for retirement benefits, you generally need 10 years (40 quarters) of gainful employment. In 2017, you need to earn at least $1,300 in a quarter for it to count as a credit.
How does Social Security calculate monthly benefits?
The Social Security Administration calculates your monthly benefits based on your lifetime earnings. Using that number, they index (adjust) those earnings for external changes like inflation. The number they come up with is called the average indexed monthly earnings.
How does Social Security calculate AIME?
They use the sum of the top 35 years of indexed earnings, divide that number by 35 for the annual average, and then they divide that number by 12 for the monthly average. This is your AIME.
How is Social Security calculated?
Social Security benefits are typically computed using "average indexed monthly earnings.". This average summarizes up to 35 years of a worker's indexed earnings. We apply a formula to this average to compute the primary insurance amount ( PIA ). The PIA is the basis for the benefits that are paid to an individual.
How many years of earnings are needed to calculate average indexed monthly earnings?
Up to 35 years of earnings are needed to compute average indexed monthly earnings. 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. The result is the AIME .
Can family members limit benefits?
Benefits to family members may be limited by a family maximum benefit.
Can disability benefits be reduced?
In such cases, disability benefits are redetermined triennially. Benefits to family members may be limited by a family maximum benefit.
How many retirement estimates does Quick Calculator give?
If you do not give a retirement date and if you have not reached your normal (or full) retirement age, the Quick Calculator will give benefit estimates for three different retirement ages.
What is the benefit estimate?
Benefit estimates depend on your date of birth and on your earnings history. For security, the "Quick Calculator" does not access your earnings record; instead, it will estimate your earnings based on information you provide. So benefit estimates made by the Quick Calculator are rough. Although the "Quick Calculator" makes an initial assumption ...
What does "0" mean in retirement?
If you entered 0, we assume you are now retired. Enter the last year in which you had covered earnings and the amount of such earnings.
How old do you have to be to use Quick Calculator?
You must be at least age 22 to use the form at right.
Why are retirement benefits unreliable?
Lack of a substantial earnings history will cause retirement benefit estimates to be unreliable.
What is indexing factor for a prior year?
The indexing factor for a prior year Y is the result of dividing the average wage index for the year in which the person attains age 60 by the average wage index for year Y.
What is indexing factor?
Indexing brings nominal earnings up to near-current wage levels. For each case, the table shows columns of earnings before and after indexing. Between these columns is a column showing the indexing factors. A factor will always equal one for the year in which the person attains age 60 and all later years. The indexing factor for a prior year Y is the result of dividing the average wage index for the year in which the person attains age 60 by the average wage index for year Y. For example, the case-A indexing factor for 1982 is the average wage for 2020 ($55,628.60) divided by the average wage for 1982 ($14,531.34).
How Does the Social Security Administration Calculate Benefits?
The Social Security Administration takes your highest-earning 35 years of covered wages and averages them, indexing for inflation. They give you a big fat “zero” for each year you don’t have earnings, so people who worked for fewer than 35 years may see lower benefits.
How does Social Security affect retirement?
Social Security benefits in retirement are impacted by three main criteria: the year you were born, the age you plan on electing (begin taking) benefits and your annual income in your working years. First we take your annual income and we adjust it by the Average Wage Index (AWI), to get your indexed earnings.
Who Is Eligible for Social Security Benefits?
Anyone who pays into Social Security for at least 40 calendar quarters (10 years) is eligible for retirement benefits based on their earnings record. You are eligible for your full benefits once you reach full retirement age, which is either 66 and 67, depending on when you were born. But if you claim later than that - you can put it off as late as age 70 - you’ll get a credit for doing so, with larger monthly benefits. Conversely, you can claim as early as age 62, but taking benefits before your full retirement age will result in the Social Security Administration docking your monthly benefits.
How long do you have to be a Social Security employee to get full benefits?
Anyone who pays into Social Security for at least 40 calendar quarters (10 years) is eligible for retirement benefits based on their earnings record. You are eligible for your full benefits once you reach full retirement age, which is either 66 and 67, depending on when you were born.
What is the Social Security income test for 2021?
For 2021, the Retirement Earnings Test Exempt Amount is $18,960/year ($1,580/month). If you’re in this age group and claiming benefits, then every $2 you make above the Exempt Amount will reduce by $1 the Social Security benefits you'll receive. (Note that only income from work counts for the Earnings Test, so income from capital gains and pensions won’t count against you.)
What age do you have to be to claim Social Security?
If you claim Social Security benefits early and then continue working, you’ll be subject to what’s called the Retirement Earnings Test. If you’re between age 62 and your full retirement age, and you’re claiming benefits, you need to know about the Earnings Test Exempt Amount, a threshold that changes yearly.
How many states tax Social Security?
That covers federal income taxes. What about state income taxes? That depends. In 13 states, your Social Security benefits will be taxed as income, either in whole or in part; the remaining states do not tax Social Security income.
