Social Security Earnings Test Calculator
Claiming Social Security before full retirement age while still working triggers the earnings test. SSA withholds benefits above the exempt amount, but you get that money back, eventually. See exactly what gets withheld and what your benefit looks like at FRA.
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Why the earnings test catches people off guard
Most people who claim early assume they can keep working without consequence. That's only true after FRA. Before FRA, earning above $24,480 in 2026 triggers withholding at a 1-for-2 rate. Someone earning $60,000 a year with a $1,500 monthly benefit owes $17,760 in withholding ($35,520 over the limit, divided by 2). That's every check for all 12 months, with the $240 overage paid back the next year.
SSA doesn't take a piece of each check. It withholds whole checks, beginning with the first ones of the year, and refunds any extra the following year. If $9,000 needs to be withheld from a $1,500 benefit, you get no benefit for 6 months, then full payments resume. This feels like a bigger disruption than the numbers suggest. Budget for it if you're in this situation.
The year you reach FRA is different. The exempt amount jumps to $65,160, and earnings above that only cost $1 per $3, not $1 per $2. Only earnings before the month you reach FRA count for that year's test. So for someone reaching FRA in June, only January through May earnings count.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Social Security earnings test?
If you claim SS before FRA and keep working, SSA withholds $1 of benefits for every $2 you earn above $24,480 (2026). In the year you reach FRA, the exempt amount rises to $65,160 and the withholding rate drops to $1 per $3. After FRA, no withholding applies regardless of earnings.
Do I lose the withheld benefits permanently?
No. At FRA, SSA recomputes your benefit as if you had claimed later, dropping the early-claiming reduction for every month a check was withheld. SSA's own example: a $910 benefit claimed at 62 (FRA 67) with 12 months withheld becomes $975 a month at 67. You get the value back only if you live long enough to collect the higher check.
What counts as earnings?
Wages and net self-employment income only. SSA doesn't count other government benefits, investment earnings, interest, pensions, annuities, or capital gains. Your own pension or 401(k) contributions do count if they're included in your gross wages.
When does the earnings test stop?
The month you reach your FRA. From then on you can earn any amount with nothing withheld, and your benefit is recomputed to credit the months that were withheld.
Should I delay claiming to avoid the earnings test?
Often yes, if you'll keep earning well above the limit until FRA anyway. With an FRA of 67, a benefit claimed at 62 is 30% smaller (5/9 of 1% for each of the first 36 early months, 5/12 of 1% for each month after that), so waiting raises the monthly check by about 43%. And if most of your checks would be withheld, claiming early buys you little.