United States · Social Security · Earnings test
Social Security earnings limit calculator 2027.
How much of your 2027 retirement benefit is withheld if you earn over the limit before full retirement age.
Short answer: In 2027 the earnings limit is $25,560 a year ($2,130 a month) if you are under full retirement age all year, with $1 of benefits withheld for every $2 earned above it, and $67,920 a year ($5,660 a month) in the year you reach full retirement age, with $1 withheld for every $3 above it. From the month you reach full retirement age there is no limit.
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The 2027 earnings limits
You can work while receiving Social Security retirement or survivors benefits, but if you are younger than full retirement age and earn more than the yearly earnings limit, the SSA may reduce your benefit. The limits for 2027, from the SSA's 2027 COLA fact sheet, are below.
| Situation | 2026 | 2027 | What is withheld |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under full retirement age all year | $24,480 a year ($2,040 a month) | $25,560 a year ($2,130 a month) | $1 for every $2 above the limit |
| The year you reach full retirement age | $65,160 a year ($5,430 a month) | $67,920 a year ($5,660 a month) | $1 for every $3 above the limit; only earnings before the month you reach full retirement age count |
| From the month you reach full retirement age | None | None | No limit on earnings |
Special rule and recalculation
The SSA describes a special rule that applies to one year: if your earnings will be more than the limit and you will receive retirement benefits for part of the year, it pays a full benefit for any whole month it considers you retired, regardless of yearly earnings. When you reach full retirement age, the SSA says it recalculates your benefit to give you credit for the months it reduced or withheld benefits because of excess earnings.
Worked example
The SSA's published example for 2026: $800 a month ($9,600 a year), earnings of $33,400, $8,920 over the $24,480 limit, so $4,460 is withheld and $5,140 is paid. With the 2027 limit of $25,560 the same earnings are $7,840 over, so $3,920 would be withheld. In the year you reach full retirement age, $80,000 earned before the month you reach it is $12,080 over $67,920, and $4,026.67 is withheld ($12,080 ÷ 3).
Common mix-ups
- Only work income counts. The earnings test is about earnings from a job or self-employment, which is what you enter here.
- The limit is not a tax. Withheld benefits are credited back when you reach full retirement age through a recalculation, according to the SSA.
- The higher limit applies to the full-retirement-age year only. Count earnings only for months before the month you reach that age.
- It is not $1 for every $2 above your benefit. The $2 or $3 test applies to earnings above the annual limit.
- No limit applies once you reach full retirement age. From that month your earnings no longer reduce benefits.
Method
Withheld benefits are the earnings above the 2027 limit divided by 2, or by 3 in the year you reach full retirement age, never more than a full year of your benefit. The number of payments is withheld ÷ your monthly benefit, rounded up. SSA's month-by-month handling can differ.
What this does not cover
- The special first-year monthly rule, which can pay full benefits for months you stop work.
- Earnings from outside the United States, which have different rules, and survivors benefits that use the retirement age for the test.
- Taxes on benefits and Medicare premium effects.
- How SSA recomputes your benefit at full retirement age.
Figures read from the sources below on November 9, 2026. Last updated November 9, 2026.
Sources
- SSA: 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- SSA Benefits Planner: Receiving Benefits While Working (retrieved November 9, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What is the Social Security earnings limit for 2027?
$25,560 a year, or $2,130 a month, if you are under full retirement age all year.
What is the earnings limit in the year I reach full retirement age?
$67,920 for 2027, $5,660 a month, and only earnings before the month you reach full retirement age count.
How much is withheld if I earn over the limit?
$1 of benefits for every $2 above the limit before the full-retirement-age year and $1 for every $3 above it in that year.
Is there an earnings limit after full retirement age?
No. Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, earnings do not reduce your benefits.
Do I get the withheld benefits back?
The SSA says it recalculates your benefit at full retirement age to give you credit for the months it reduced or withheld benefits.
What was the limit in 2026?
$24,480 under full retirement age and $65,160 in the year you reach it.
Does investment or pension income count?
The test counts earnings from work; confirm what counts with the SSA for your case.
Not legal or tax advice
This page is general information from an unofficial guide, not legal or tax advice, and it is not an eligibility decision. Programs and thresholds change and the figures here are estimates. Confirm with the agency that runs the program before you apply or file. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.