How to Get the Maximum Social Security Check in 2025

A retired couple sits at a table, applying for Social Security benefits on a laptop computer.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 11 December 2024

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 the reality is that not many people will qualify for it. However, even if you can't qualify for the highest payment, there are ways to maximize your benefits.

A monthly maximum Social Security benefit of over $5,000 per month compares favorably 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.

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.

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Even if you can't get the maximum benefit, there are a number of ways you can increase the amount that you can get.

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.

Higher wages increase your benefits

Wouldn’t it be nice if only you could wave a magic wand and earn a higher wage? Absolutely. That’s because your retirement benefit depends primarily on your lifetime earnings. But there is an earnings cap imposed by Social Security, so any money above that amount won’t affect your future benefits. In 2024, the maximum earnings subject to Social Security tax is $168,600. In 2025, that number jumps to $176,100. That’s a $7,500 increase over 2024. 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.

Working longer increases 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.

An older woman looks off to the side, thinking, while sitting at her kitchen table.

Wait to claim your benefits

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.

Reductions in monthly benefits:

Swipe to scroll horizontally

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, wait to take your benefit

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.

A man in a business suit tries to turn back a giant clock with a Social Security card in the background.

Stop your benefits if you claim too early

Sometimes, you 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.

Bottom line

Very few people actually get the maximum Social Security benefit amount, so you may have to do with less when you 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 in 2023 - May 2024 from 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 now to prepare for your future. If you’re unsure where to start, connect with a financial planner who can lay out a plan to ensure your finances are in good shape when you do eventually retire.

For the past 18+ years, Kathryn has highlighted the humanity in personal finance by shaping stories that identify the opportunities and obstacles in managing a person's finances. All the same, she’ll jump on other equally important topics if needed. Kathryn graduated with a degree in Journalism and lives in Duluth, Minnesota. She joined Kiplinger in 2023 as a contributor.