United States · Social Security · Benefit formula
Social Security PIA calculator 2027.
The 2027 benefit formula with its bend points: enter average indexed monthly earnings to get the primary insurance amount.
Short answer: For people who first become eligible in 2027 the primary insurance amount (PIA) is 90% of the first $1,340 of average indexed monthly earnings, plus 32% of earnings from $1,340 through $8,077, plus 15% of earnings above $8,077, rounded down to the next lower 10 cents. With $6,000 of monthly earnings that is $2,697.20.
Compute the PIA from your AIME
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The PIA formula
The SSA defines the primary insurance amount as the benefit, before rounding down to the next lower whole dollar, that a person would receive if they start retirement benefits at their normal retirement age. At that age the benefit is neither reduced for early retirement nor increased for delay. It is the sum of three percentages of different portions of average indexed monthly earnings (AIME), and the portions depend on the year the worker reaches 62, becomes disabled before 62, or dies before 62.
| Portion of AIME for the 2027 formula | Percentage |
|---|---|
| The first $1,340 | 90% |
| Over $1,340 and through $8,077 | 32% |
| Over $8,077 | 15% |
The SSA rounds the total to the next lower multiple of $0.10 if it is not already one. The dollar amounts are the bend points of the formula: the SSA publishes them for each year from 1979, and the 2027 figures are $1,340 and $8,077. The maximum family benefit formula has its own bend points for 2027: $1,712, $2,471 and $3,223.
Where the 2027 bend points come from
The SSA starts from the 1979 bend points of $180 and $1,085 and scales them by the ratio of the average wage index for 2025, 72,800.33, to the index for 1977, 9,779.44. $180 × 72,800.33 / 9,779.44 is $1,339.96, which rounds to $1,340, and $1,085 × 72,800.33 / 9,779.44 is $8,076.98, which rounds to $8,077. Bend points follow the year of eligibility, not the year you claim.
PIA at sample earnings, 2027 formula
| AIME | PIA |
|---|---|
| $1,000 | $900.00 |
| $2,500 | $1,577.20 |
| $4,000 | $2,057.20 |
| $6,000 | $2,697.20 |
| $8,000 | $3,337.20 |
| $10,000 | $3,650.20 |
| $12,000 | $3,950.20 |
Worked example
AIME of $6,000: 90% of $1,340 is $1,206.00; 32% of ($6,000 − $1,340) is $1,491.20; the total is $2,697.20, so the PIA is $2,697.20. AIME of $10,000: $1,206.00 + 32% of ($8,077 − $1,340) = $2,155.84 + 15% of ($10,000 − $8,077) = $288.45 gives $3,650.29, which is cut down to $3,650.20. The maximum retirement benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age in 2027 is published as $4,188 a month.
Common mix-ups
- AIME is not your salary. It is an average of your indexed lifetime earnings per month, which SSA computes.
- The bend points depend on when you turn 62. Someone who turned 62 in 2026 uses $1,286 and $7,749, not the 2027 figures.
- PIA is not the check you receive. Claiming age and cost-of-living increases change it.
- The 2027 COLA is not in the formula. Benefits payable in January 2027 get the 3.6% COLA on top of the benefit.
- The result is rounded down to a dime, not nearest. $3,650.29 becomes $3,650.20.
Method
The calculator multiplies the portion of your AIME up to $1,340 by 0.90, the portion between $1,340 and $8,077 by 0.32 and the portion above $8,077 by 0.15, adds them and rounds down to the next 10 cents. It does not compute AIME, which requires your full earnings record.
What this does not cover
- How AIME is calculated from your earnings history.
- Eligibility years other than 2027 (see the bend points by year page).
- Reductions and increases for claiming age, and cost-of-living increases.
- Disability, survivor and family maximum benefits.
Figures read from the sources below on November 9, 2026. Last updated November 9, 2026.
Sources
- SSA Office of the Chief Actuary: Primary Insurance Amount (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- SSA Office of the Chief Actuary: Benefit Formula Bend Points (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- SSA: 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet (retrieved November 9, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What are the 2027 Social Security bend points?
$1,340 and $8,077 for the primary insurance amount formula, and $1,712, $2,471 and $3,223 for the maximum family benefit formula.
What is the Social Security PIA formula?
90% of AIME up to the first bend point, 32% between the bend points and 15% above the second, rounded down to the next lower 10 cents.
Do the 2027 bend points apply to everyone claiming in 2027?
No. They apply to people who turn 62, become disabled or die in 2027, which is the year of eligibility.
What is AIME?
Average indexed monthly earnings, the figure SSA derives from your indexed earnings record and uses in the formula.
How were the 2027 bend points calculated?
The 1979 bend points of $180 and $1,085 scaled by the average wage index for 2025 over 1977, which gives $1,339.96 and $8,076.98, rounded to $1,340 and $8,077.
What is the maximum Social Security benefit in 2027?
$4,188 a month for a worker retiring at full retirement age, up from $4,152 in 2026.
Is this my actual benefit?
No. It is your benefit at full retirement age for the earnings you enter; SSA decides the amount.
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.