SSDI substantial gainful activity limit by year.

What substantial gainful activity means for SSDI

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits a person must be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity, which SSA shortens to SGA. SSA treats a person who earns more than a set monthly amount, counted net of impairment-related work expenses, as ordinarily engaging in SGA. That monthly amount is the number on this page, and it depends on the kind of disability: the Social Security Act sets a higher amount for statutorily blind people, while federal regulations set a lower amount for everyone else.

Both amounts change with the national average wage index, so they move up almost every year. The blind amount does not apply to Supplemental Security Income, while the non-blind amount applies to both Social Security disability and SSI. If you are comparing your own pay with the limit, the first question is therefore which row you belong in, and the second is whether the number you are comparing is gross pay or countable earnings.

SGA amount by year, 1975 to 2027

The non-blind column is the one most people need. It sat at $300 for 1980 to 1989, stepped to $500 in 1990, and rose to $700 in 1999 (the first half of 1999 used $500, per SSA's note). Since 2001 it has risen almost every year, and the 2027 figure of $1,770 is about 8.9 times the 1975 amount of $200. The trial work period column is shown only for the two years SSA lists on its 2027 fact sheet.

*In 1999 the non-blind amount was $500 for the first half of the year and $700 afterward; the table shows $700.

How SSA calculates the amount

SSA publishes the arithmetic for 2026, and it shows why the amounts end in a zero. For statutorily blind people the 2026 amount is the 1994 amount of $930 multiplied by the ratio of the 2024 national average wage index (69,846.57) to the 1992 index (22,935.42): $930 × 69,846.57 ÷ 22,935.42 = $2,832.18, rounded to the nearest multiple of $10, or $2,830. For non-blind people the base is $700 from 2000 and the ratio uses 1998: $700 × 69,846.57 ÷ 28,861.44 = $1,694.05, which rounds to $1,690.

In both cases the result applies only if it is larger than the previous year's amount ($2,700 and $1,620 in 2025), and SSA notes that the blind formula applies only when a cost-of-living increase takes effect for December of the year the determination would be made. Because the 3.6% COLA takes effect for December 2026, the formula can apply for 2027.

Worked example with real numbers

This is a hypothetical non-blind worker who earns $1,650 a month in 2026. The limit is $1,690, so the earnings are $40 under it and are not ordinarily SGA. If the same person picks up extra hours and earns $1,800 a month, that is $110 over the 2026 limit and ordinarily counts as SGA. In 2027 the same $1,800 is only $30 over the new $1,770 limit, and a monthly figure of $1,770 or less is not above it.

Over twelve months the 2026 non-blind amount is $20,280 and the 2027 amount is $21,240. Countable earnings are net of impairment-related work expenses, so a worker who pays for work-related items that SSA accepts may be compared on a lower number than the gross payslip.

Trial work period is a different, lower number

After someone becomes eligible for Social Security disability benefits, SSA provides a trial work period in which a beneficiary can test work and still collect benefits. The monthly earnings that make a month count toward the trial work period are lower than the SGA amounts: $1,210 in 2026 and $1,270 in 2027. The trial work period does not apply to SSI. Do not mix the two numbers: SGA decides whether work is substantial, while the trial work threshold decides which months count as trial work months.

Common mistakes and edge cases

• Comparing gross pay with the limit. SSA compares countable earnings, which are net of impairment-related work expenses.
• Using the blind amount for SSI. SSA says the blind SGA amount does not apply to SSI.
• Using this year's amount for a past year. Use the row for the year the work happened.
• Treating the amount as a hard cutoff for every case. SSA says a person earning more than the amount is ordinarily considered to be engaged in SGA.
• Reading 1990 as a typo. The non-blind amount did jump from $300 to $500 that year.

Who this is for and what it does not cover

This page is for people on or applying for SSDI, family members, and advocates who need the SGA amount for a specific year. It lists the monthly amounts for 1975 to 2027 and checks one month of earnings against one year's amount. It does not value self-employment income, decide whether an impairment is disabling, apply the trial work period to your record, or cover work incentives such as the extended period of eligibility. For back pay estimates use the SSDI back pay calculator.