How the earnings limit works
Before full retirement age, Social Security checks your earnings for the year against a limit. Above it, some benefits are held back:
| Your situation in 2027 | Limit | Held back |
|---|---|---|
| Under full retirement age all year | $25,560 ($2,130 a month) | $1 for every $2 over |
| You reach full retirement age in 2027 | $67,920 ($5,660 a month), earnings before that month only | $1 for every $3 over |
| From the month you reach full retirement age | No limit | Nothing |
Social Security usually holds back whole monthly checks starting in January until it has held back the full amount. That's why you might get no checks for a few months and then full checks for the rest of the year.
The money isn't lost
At full retirement age, your benefit is recalculated as if you hadn't claimed in the months that were held back. Your monthly check goes up for the rest of your life.
The first year of retirement
In the year you first retire, a special rule can apply: you can get a full check for any month your earnings stay under a monthly amount ($2,130 in 2027 if you're under full retirement age) and you don't do substantial self-employment work, even if your yearly earnings are over the limit. This calculator uses the yearly limit. Ask Social Security how the first-year rule applies to you.
Questions
What is the Social Security earnings limit for 2027?
$25,560 if you are under full retirement age for all of 2027: $1 of benefits is held back for every $2 you earn above it. In the year you reach full retirement age the limit is $67,920, and $1 is held back for every $3 above it, counting only earnings before the month you reach that age.
Is the money held back lost?
No. When you reach full retirement age, Social Security recalculates your benefit to give you credit for the months it held back, so your monthly benefit goes up from then on.
Is there a limit after full retirement age?
No. Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, you can earn any amount without any benefits being held back.
What income counts toward the limit?
Wages from a job and net earnings from self-employment. Pensions, annuities, investment income, interest, IRA withdrawals and government benefits do not count.
Updated November 6, 2026. Sources: Social Security Administration, the 2027 COLA Fact Sheet; SSA, Exempt Amounts Under the Earnings Test; SSA, How Work Affects Your Benefits; 20 CFR 404.415 and 404.430. Estimates, not financial, tax or legal advice.