The maximum Social Security check for 2025 is $5,108 per month, up from $4,873 in 2024 (when accounting for the 2.5% cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment). That's a pretty impressive figure, but in reality, not many people will qualify for the maximum amount. The good news is that there are ways to maximize your benefits now to increase your check for 2026.
How can you get the maximum Social Security benefit? If you want it, you’ll have to earn it. That said, getting the biggest share of the pot depends on more than just a high salary; your work, your age, marital status and retirement decisions also count.
Even if you can't get the maximum benefit, there are a number of ways you can increase the amount that you can get.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Average monthly Social Security benefits in 2025
These are the estimated average monthly Social Security benefits payable in January 2025 after the 2.5% COLA is applied. When applied, the COLA increase will mean an additional $49 for the average retiree. That will increase the average Social Security check in 2025 to $1,976, up from $1,927 in 2024. Married couples will see an average increase of $75, raising their monthly benefit from $3,014 in 2024 to $3,089 in 2025.
- All retired workers: $1,976
- Married Couples, both receiving benefits: $3,089
- Widowed mother with two children: $3,761
- Widow(er) alone: $1,832
- Disabled worker, spouse and one or more children: $2,826
- All disabled workers: $1,580
Although there are no shortcuts to the maximum benefit, here are several tips for getting the most out of your Social Security.
Earn a higher wage now to increase your benefit later
A monthly maximum Social Security benefit of over $5,000 per month compares to the median monthly earnings of workers not yet taking Social Security: $4,908 per month ($1,165 per week) in the third quarter of 2024, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
So, wouldn’t it be nice if you could wave a magic wand and earn a higher wage in 2025? Absolutely. That’s because your retirement benefit depends primarily on your lifetime earnings.
In 2024, the maximum earnings subject to Social Security tax was $168,600. In 2025, that number jumps to $176,100. That’s a $7,500 increase year-to-year. So even if you make over one million in wages in 2025, Social Security will still only consider your annual taxable maximum income of $176,100.
However, there is an earnings cap imposed by Social Security, so any money above that amount won’t affect your future benefits.
Work longer to increase your benefits
Social Security uses your 35 highest-earning years to calculate your monthly benefit. To qualify for a benefit at all, you will need to work the equivalent of ten years of full-time work. However, you’ll get the biggest benefit if you work for at least 35 years. That means, if you only work for 28 years, Social Security will use your 28 years of earnings (plus seven zeros, adding up to 35) to calculate your benefit. If you work more than 35 years, Social Security will take your 35 highest-earning years to calculate your benefit, meaning a higher Social Security check.
This is how it works: Social Security computes your benefits using "average indexed monthly earnings." This average sums up to 35 years of your indexed earnings.
Social Security applies 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.
Wait to claim your benefits as long as possible
Delaying your Social Security benefit for as long as possible is one of the best ways to maximize your payments. Full retirement age (FRA) is the age when you qualify for 100% of your Social Security benefit.
You can take benefits as early as age 62, but every year you claim before your FRA reduces your benefit. If you wait beyond your FRA, you get a delayed retirement credit for each year until you reach 70. At that point, delayed retirement credits stop.
| Birth Year | FRA | Number of reduction months | Primary - % reduction | Spouse - % reduction |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Row 1 - Cell 1 | Row 1 - Cell 2 | Row 1 - Cell 3 | Row 1 - Cell 4 |
| 1937 or earlier | 65 | 36 | 20% | 25% |
| 1938 | 65 and 2 months | 38 | 20.83% | 25.83% |
| 1939 | 65 and 4 months | 40 | 21.67% | 26.67% |
| 1940 | 65 and 6 months | 42 | 22.50% | 27.50% |
| 1941 | 65 and 8 months | 44 | 23.33% | 28.33% |
| 1942 | 65 and 10 months | 46 | 24.17% | 29.17% |
| 1943 - 1954 | 66 | 48 | 25% | 30% |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months | 50 | 25.83% | 30.83% |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months | 52 | 26.67% | 31.67% |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months | 54 | 27.50% | 32.50% |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months | 56 | 28.33% | 33.33% |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months | 58 | 29.17% | 34.17% |
| 1960 and later | 67 | 60 | 30% | 35% |
If you’re still working but take your benefits early, it’s possible your benefits will be reduced in 2025:
- If you don't reach your FRA in 2025: $1 in benefits will be cut for every $2 in earnings above $23,400, a limit that's up 4.8% from 2024.
- If you do reach your FRA in 2025: $1 in benefits will be cut for every $3 in earnings above $62,100, 4.3% higher than in 2024.
However, Social Security will give you credit for the benefits withheld and recalculate your benefit at a higher amount once you reach your full retirement age. If you live long enough, you may be able to recoup the money withheld. The good news is that when you reach your FRA, your earnings no longer affect your benefits.
Stop your benefits if you claimed too early
It is possible to claim your Social Security benefits too early and regret it later on. It happens. If that’s you, you must act fast to reverse your mistake. Social Security allows you to step back on your application if it’s been less than 12 months since you started benefits.
But remember that you’ll have to repay everything you received up to that time, including Medicare premiums and taxes. You can restart your Social Security for a higher amount whenever you’re ready, but Social Security will automatically start your payments once you turn 70.
Plan ahead for 2026
Very few people actually get the maximum Social Security benefit amount, so you may have to do with less when you eventually retire. But Social Security was never meant to be your sole income in retirement, so the less you have to rely on it, the better off you’ll be.
According to Federal Reserve data, just over 70% of American adults have some retirement savings, while 28% said they had saved nothing at all for retirement.
A report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households, the Federal Reserve states that the most common source of retirement income for retirees is Social Security. However, 80% had one or more sources of income outside of Social Security, such as a pension, an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan, rental income, or working beyond the age of 65. Investing, saving, and planning ahead are all things you can do in 2025 to prepare for your future.
Bottom line
There are ways to maximize your Social Security benefit, even if you don't qualify for the maximum. If you’re unsure where or how to make that happen, connect with a financial planner who can lay out a plan to ensure your finances are in good shape when you do eventually retire.
Related Content
-
Maryland Property Tax Assessment: What It Means for YouState Tax Amid a growing deficit, Maryland property values are rising. Here’s more of what to know.
-
Should You Use Add-On CDs?Add-on CDs can be opened with as little as $100, offer a fixed interest rate and allow you to make deposits throughout the term. But what are the trade-offs?
-
Social Security and Medicare Funding: Is the Sky Falling?Social Security and Medicare are slowly running out of money, but what does that mean for the retirees counting on them? Actually, it's not all bad news.
-
What We Need to Do to Protect Retirees' Financial SecurityCognitive decline and aging in general put older retirees at risk of losing their financial security when they're the most vulnerable. What can be done?
-
Why You Should Check Your College's Financial HealthColleges throughout the country are struggling financially as enrollment shrinks and expenses rise, making it important to check the financial health of the college your or your child is attending.
-
Where to Store Your Cash in 2025Take a fresh look at budgeting and savings opportunities for where to store your cash this year, to ensure you leave no stone unturned.
-
Financial Planning: Sisters Should Be Doin' It for ThemselvesMore and more women are ringin' on their own financial bells (with apologies to Aretha Franklin and Eurythmics) — but that demands a robust financial plan.
-
The Verizon Administrative Settlement Payment is a Reminder Class-Action Lawsuits Won't Make You RichPeople are receiving payouts from the Verizon administrative settlement and are surprised at how small they are. This provides a helpful financial lesson reminder.
-
Seven Ways Retirees Can Crush Holiday Debt in the New YearHere's how to get rid of that holiday debt you racked up.
-
Is Money Messing Up Your Family's Life?Parents who discuss money and attitudes toward money with their children are more likely to raise financially successful and responsible adults.
