2027 Social Security Earnings Limit: $25,680 (Projected)
A clearly labelled wage-growth planning scenario, pending SSA’s determination.
Projected
Under FRA all year
$25,680
Work income and withholding.
Below FRA for the full year, SSA withholds $1 in benefits per $2 earned above this limit. The higher FRA-year limit is $68,280, with $1 withheld per $3 earned before the FRA month.
Calculate withholding| Year | Primary amount | FRA-year amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $22,320 | $59,520 | Official |
| 2025 | $23,400 | $62,160 | Official |
| 2026 | $24,480 | $65,160 | Official |
| 2027 | $25,680 | $68,280 | Projected |
| 2028 | $26,880 | $71,640 | Projected |
Questions, answered.
Is the 2027 amount announced?
No. It is a planning extrapolation of the last official values. SSA indexes wage-based amounts separately from the COLA.
Does investment income count toward the earnings test?
The retirement earnings test generally uses wages and net self-employment earnings, not pensions or investment income. Taxation of Social Security is a separate calculation.
Is the wage base my retirement benefit?
No. It is the earnings ceiling for the Social Security payroll-tax portion. PIA uses indexed earnings and bend points; claiming age then changes the payment.
Does the COLA set all these limits?
No. Wage-base, earnings-test and bend-point changes use wage-indexing rules. COLA uses CPI-W. Future projections must keep those assumptions separate.
Check the sources.
Data checked October 1, 2026.