Estimates by earnings
Monthly benefit at each claiming age for someone born in 1965 or later with 35 years of work, at today's wage levels, under the 2027 formula:
| Average earnings | At 62 | At 67 | At 70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | $917 | $1,310 | $1,624 |
| $40,000 | $1,290 | $1,843 | $2,286 |
| $60,000 | $1,664 | $2,377 | $2,947 |
| $80,000 | $2,037 | $2,910 | $3,608 |
| $100,000 | $2,380 | $3,400 | $4,216 |
| $150,000 | $2,817 | $4,025 | $4,991 |
Earnings above the yearly maximum ($192,300 in 2027) don't count. The highest benefit for someone reaching full retirement age in 2027 is $4,188 a month. It's lower than a maximum earner's figure here for two reasons: the earnings cap grew faster than wages in past decades, and that person turned 62 in 2022, so their formula used 2022's bend points plus COLAs, which rose more slowly than wages.
How it works
Social Security averages your 35 highest years of earnings, after raising older years for wage growth, and divides by 420 months. That's your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME). Your full benefit is 90% of the first $1,340 of it, 32% of the amount up to $8,077, and 15% of the rest, for people first eligible in 2027. Claiming before full retirement age cuts it; waiting to 70 raises it. How Social Security is calculated, step by step.
What this leaves out
Your real earnings record, year by year; future changes in the formula; spousal and survivor benefits; and the earnings limit if you work while claiming before full retirement age. Social Security uses the bend points for the year you turn 62. For people born in 1965 or later that's 2027 or later, and the bend points rise with wages, so this estimate at today's wage levels holds. People born in 1963 or 1964 turn 62 a year or two earlier, so it may run a few percent high for them. If you were born before 1963, your formula is already fixed: use your statement. For your official number, see your statement in your my Social Security account at ssa.gov.
Questions
How much Social Security will I get?
It depends on your 35 highest years of earnings and the age you claim. Someone born in 1965 or later who averaged $60,000 a year at today's wage levels for 35 years would get about $2,377 a month at full retirement age, $1,664 at 62, or $2,947 at 70, under the 2027 formula.
How much Social Security will I get if I only worked 10 years?
Ten years usually earns the 40 credits you need, but the other 25 years count as zero. At $60,000 a year for 10 years, that is about $1,234 a month at full retirement age under the 2027 formula, because the formula replaces a larger share of low average earnings.
Is this my official Social Security estimate?
No. It is an estimate from one average figure. Your official estimate is on your Social Security statement in your my Social Security account at ssa.gov, based on your actual earnings record.
Updated November 6, 2026. Sources: SSA Office of the Chief Actuary, Primary Insurance Amount (2027 bend points); SSA, Quarter of Coverage; Social Security Administration, the 2027 COLA Fact Sheet; 20 CFR 404.410; 20 CFR 404.313. Estimates, not financial advice. Not affiliated with the Social Security Administration.