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Social Security Calculator 2026

Claiming at 62 instead of 70 can cost six figures over your lifetime. See your exact monthly check at every age — with the real bend-point math, break-even crossover, and earnings-test warnings.

Your Details

Birth Year

Full retirement age: 67 years

Career Avg Yearly ($)

Years Worked (max 35)

Claim At Age

Still working when I claim

Triggers the earnings test check

Filing Status

Other Income ($/yr)

Your Monthly Check at Age 67

$2,345

$28,140/year · exactly your full PIA

PIA at FRA

$2,345/mo

Break-even vs FRA

—

How We Got Your PIA

Estimated AIME (average indexed monthly earnings): $5,000 — capped at $184,500 taxable, padded to 35 years.

90% of first $1,286$1,157

32% of $1,286–$7,749$1,188

15% above $7,749$0

= PIA at FRA$2,345/mo

Your Check at Every Claiming Age

Age	Monthly	Annual	vs FRA
62	$1,641	$19,692	-30%
63	$1,758	$21,096	-25%
64	$1,876	$22,512	-20%
65	$2,032	$24,384	-13.3%
66	$2,188	$26,256	-6.7%
67	$2,345	$28,140	0%
68	$2,532	$30,384	+8%
69	$2,720	$32,640	+16%
70	$2,907	$34,884	+24%

Notes: 2026 figures. Up to 85% of benefits can be federally taxed (thresholds $25k/$32k provisional income — never indexed). Medicare Part B ($202.90/mo standard) is usually deducted from your check. Estimates, not tax advice.

Claiming Social Security: Which Age Is Right?

Every age from 62 to 70 has its own page with 2026 numbers, break-even math, and pros & cons.

Age 62 Age 63 Age 64 Age 65 Age 66 Age 67 Age 68 Age 69 Age 70

How This Calculator Works

Step 1 — Your record. Enter a career-average salary and years worked (or paste the PIA straight from your SSA.gov statement). We estimate your AIME: your capped average earnings padded to a 35-year window.

Step 2 — Bend points. Your AIME runs through Social Security's formula — 90% of the first $1,286, 32% up to $7,749, 15% above — producing your PIA, the benefit you get at full retirement age. The calculator shows this math line by line.

Step 3 — The claim-age decision. Claim early and each month before your FRA permanently cuts 5/9% (5/12% for months beyond 36 early). Wait past FRA and the delayed retirement credit adds 2/3% per month — 8% a year — until 70. Drag the age selector to watch your check, the break-even crossover, and the earnings test respond.

The 2026 Numbers Behind Every Result

2026 COLA	2.8%
Maximum taxable earnings	$184,500
PIA bend points	90% / 32% / 15% at $1,286 and $7,749
Earnings test (under FRA)	$1 per $2 above $24,480
Earnings test (FRA year)	$1 per $3 above $65,160
Delayed retirement credit	+8% per year (FRA → 70)
Medicare Part B standard premium	$203/mo

Frequently Asked Questions

How is my Social Security benefit calculated?

SSA indexes your 35 highest-earning years to today's dollars, averages them into your AIME (Average Indexed Monthly Earnings), then applies three "bend points": 90% of the first $1,286, 32% between $1,286 and $7,749, and 15% above $7,749 (2026 figures). That result is your PIA — your benefit at full retirement age.

What is full retirement age (FRA)?

66 for people born 1943–1954, rising by 2 months per birth year to 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Your FRA is the age where you collect 100% of your PIA.

What happens if I claim at 62?

Claiming at 62 (the earliest age) permanently reduces your benefit — by 30% if your FRA is 67, or 25% if your FRA is 66. The reduction is forever, and annual COLAs are then applied to the smaller check.

Is waiting until 70 always the best choice?

No — it depends on your health, finances, and household. Delaying earns an 8%-per-year credit from full retirement age to 70 (24% total), and for married couples the higher earner waiting also locks in a larger survivor benefit. But if you need income now, claiming earlier can win. The break-even chart shows the crossover.

What is the earnings test?

If you claim before FRA and keep working, Social Security withholds $1 for every $2 you earn above $24,480 in 2026 ($1 for every $3 above $65,160 in the year you reach FRA). Withheld benefits aren't lost — they increase your check at FRA.

Will my benefits be taxed?

Possibly. If your provisional income (other income + half your benefits) exceeds $25,000 single or $32,000 married, up to 50% of benefits can be taxed; above $34,000/$44,000, up to 85%. These thresholds have never been indexed for inflation.

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