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As of Oct. 13, 2026
The basic Social Security retirement rules in plain English: your full retirement age, how SSA turns your earnings into a monthly benefit, what changes if benefits start early or late, the 2026 earnings limits, and the 2026 tax cap. Every number links to the SSA.gov page it came from, with the date we checked it.
Not financial advice. Not an SSA estimate. This page republishes Social Security Administration formulas and dollar amounts with dates. It doesn't tell you when to claim, and the calculators below are rough math on numbers you type in, not your benefit. Your official estimate comes from your own earnings record: sign in to my Social Security at SSA.gov. Social Security never charges to set up an account or apply for benefits.
SSA calls it "normal retirement age." It's the age at which your retirement benefit equals your primary insurance amount (PIA), with no reduction for claiming early and no increase for waiting.
| Year of birth | Full retirement age |
|---|---|
| 1937 and prior | 65 |
| 1938 | 65 and 2 months |
| 1939 | 65 and 4 months |
| 1940 | 65 and 6 months |
| 1941 | 65 and 8 months |
| 1942 | 65 and 10 months |
| 1943-54 | 66 |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
| 1960 and later | 67 |
Source: SSA NRA table.
Part 1 reads SSA's full-retirement-age table and its published percent-of-PIA table for your birth year. Part 2 (optional) applies the 2026 PIA formula to an AIME you type in. It doesn't know your earnings record, doesn't add COLAs, and doesn't do SSA's final rounding. It is not a benefit estimate.
Source: SSA benefit amounts.
Workers who first become eligible for retirement or disability benefits in 2026 (retirement eligibility begins at age 62), or who die in 2026 before becoming eligible. Their PIA is the sum of:
| Portion of AIME | Percent counted |
|---|---|
| First $1,286 | 90% |
| Over $1,286 through $7,749 | 32% |
| Over $7,749 | 15% |
Rounded to the next lower multiple of $0.10 if not already a multiple of $0.10. The bend points rise each year with the national average wage index: SSA computed 2026's as $180 × 69,846.57 ÷ 9,779.44 = $1,285.59 → $1,286, and $1,085 × 69,846.57 ÷ 9,779.44 = $7,749.27 → $7,749.
Example from SSA: SSA's example: a worker with maximum-taxable earnings every year since age 22 who retires at age 62 in 2026 has an AIME of $14,358 and a PIA of $4,216.90, then receives a reduced benefit because of claiming at 62.
Sources: SSA PIA formula · SSA benefit amounts.
These are SSA's own tables. They show how the monthly amount changes with the age benefits start. They don't say which age is better for anyone; that depends on things like health, other income and family benefits, which this page doesn't assess.
| Year of birth | FRA | Delayed credit per year after FRA | At 62 | At 63 | At 64 | At 65 | At 66 | At 67 | At 70 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | 65 | 6 1/2% | 80% | 86 2/3% | 93 1/3% | 100% | 106 1/2% | 113% | 132 1/2% |
| 1938 | 65 and 2 months | 6 1/2% | 79 1/6% | 85 5/9% | 92 2/9% | 98 8/9% | 105 5/12% | 111 11/12% | 131 5/12% |
| 1939 | 65 and 4 months | 7% | 78 1/3% | 84 4/9% | 91 1/9% | 97 7/9% | 104 2/3% | 111 2/3% | 132 2/3% |
| 1940 | 65 and 6 months | 7% | 77 1/2% | 83 1/3% | 90% | 96 2/3% | 103 1/2% | 110 1/2% | 131 1/2% |
| 1941 | 65 and 8 months | 7 1/2% | 76 2/3% | 82 2/9% | 88 8/9% | 95 5/9% | 102 1/2% | 110% | 132 1/2% |
| 1942 | 65 and 10 months | 7 1/2% | 75 5/6% | 81 1/9% | 87 7/9% | 94 4/9% | 101 1/4% | 108 3/4% | 131 1/4% |
| 1943-54 | 66 | 8% | 75% | 80% | 86 2/3% | 93 1/3% | 100% | 108% | 132% |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months | 8% | 74 1/6% | 79 1/6% | 85 5/9% | 92 2/9% | 98 8/9% | 106 2/3% | 130 2/3% |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months | 8% | 73 1/3% | 78 1/3% | 84 4/9% | 91 1/9% | 97 7/9% | 105 1/3% | 129 1/3% |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months | 8% | 72 1/2% | 77 1/2% | 83 1/3% | 90% | 96 2/3% | 104% | 128% |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months | 8% | 71 2/3% | 76 2/3% | 82 2/9% | 88 8/9% | 95 5/9% | 102 2/3% | 126 2/3% |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months | 8% | 70 5/6% | 75 5/6% | 81 1/9% | 87 7/9% | 94 4/9% | 101 1/3% | 125 1/3% |
| 1960 and later | 67 | 8% | 70% | 75% | 80% | 86 2/3% | 93 1/3% | 100% | 124% |
Rows for 1924–1936 births are on SSA's page. People born Jan. 1 use the previous year. Source: SSA early/delayed table.
Worker's benefit: 5/9 of 1% per month for the first 36 months before full retirement age, plus 5/12 of 1% for each additional month. Spouse's benefit: 25/36 of 1% per month for the first 36 months, plus 5/12 of 1% for each additional month.
| Year of birth | Reduction months at 62 | Worker: % reduction | Spouse: % reduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 or earlier | 36 | 20.00% | 25.00% |
| 1938 | 38 | 20.83% | 25.83% |
| 1939 | 40 | 21.67% | 26.67% |
| 1940 | 42 | 22.50% | 27.50% |
| 1941 | 44 | 23.33% | 28.33% |
| 1942 | 46 | 24.17% | 29.17% |
| 1943-1954 | 48 | 25.00% | 30.00% |
| 1955 | 50 | 25.83% | 30.83% |
| 1956 | 52 | 26.67% | 31.67% |
| 1957 | 54 | 27.50% | 32.50% |
| 1958 | 56 | 28.33% | 33.33% |
| 1959 | 58 | 29.17% | 34.17% |
| 1960 and later | 60 | 30.00% | 35.00% |
Few people can start at exact age 62 because you must be 62 throughout the first month of benefits, so most early retirees start at 62 and 1 month. Reduction months shown apply only if you were born on the 2nd of the month; otherwise one fewer. Source: SSA early reduction.
| Year of birth | 12-month increase | Monthly increase |
|---|---|---|
| 1933-1934 | 5.5% | 11/24 of 1% |
| 1935-1936 | 6.0% | 1/2 of 1% |
| 1937-1938 | 6.5% | 13/24 of 1% |
| 1939-1940 | 7.0% | 7/12 of 1% |
| 1941-1942 | 7.5% | 5/8 of 1% |
| 1943 or later | 8.0% | 2/3 of 1% |
Source: SSA delayed credits.
| Your situation in 2026 | Earnings limit | What's withheld |
|---|---|---|
| Under full retirement age all year | $24,480 | $1 withheld for every $2 of earnings above the limit |
| Reach full retirement age during 2026 | $65,160 | $1 withheld for every $3 of earnings above the limit (earnings in months before the month you reach full retirement age only) |
| From the month you reach full retirement age | No limit | Nothing |
Sources: SSA working while receiving · SSA exempt amounts.
Source: SSA taxable maximum.
Source: SSA latest COLA.
67 if you were born in 1960 or later; 66 for 1943–1954; it steps up by 2 months a year for 1955–1959 births (66 and 2 months through 66 and 10 months). If you were born on January 1, use the previous year (SSA normal retirement age table).
SSA averages your highest 35 years of wage-indexed earnings into a monthly figure (AIME). For people first eligible in 2026, the primary insurance amount is 90% of the first $1,286 of AIME, plus 32% of AIME over $1,286 through $7,749, plus 15% over $7,749 (SSA, checked Oct. 13, 2026).
If you're under full retirement age all year, $24,480; SSA withholds $1 for every $2 above that. In the year you reach full retirement age the limit is $65,160 for the months before that month, with $1 withheld per $3 over. From the month you reach full retirement age there's no limit. Withheld benefits are credited back when you reach full retirement age.
$184,500. Employees and employers each pay 6.2% OASDI tax on wages up to that amount (12.4% for self-employment income).
No. We publish SSA's formulas and tables with dates. Your official estimates are in your my Social Security account at SSA.gov.
Facts, not financial advice, and not an SSA benefit estimate. Rules and amounts change yearly; check your own record and estimates at ssa.gov/myaccount.