How much you receive depends on your work history and when you start
Social Security payments in 2025 are based on your lifetime earnings record, not on need. The Social Security Administration (SSA) calculates your benefit amount using your 35 highest-earning years. If you worked fewer than 35 years, they count zeros for the missing years, which lowers your payment.
The age you start receiving payments makes the largest difference. If you were born in 1943 or later, your full retirement age — the age at which you receive 100 percent of your calculated benefit — is between 66 and 67, depending on your birth year. You can start as early as 62, but your payment will be roughly 30 percent lower. If you wait until 70, your payment increases by about 8 percent for each year you delay past your full retirement age.
The average Social Security payment in 2025 varies by the type of benefit you receive. Retired workers, disabled workers, and surviving family members all receive different average amounts. The SSA publishes these averages but does not publish a single "standard" payment because no two people's work histories are identical.
Key Takeaways
- Your payment amount is calculated from your 35 highest-earning years, so gaps in work history reduce your benefit.
- Starting at 62 gives you a smaller monthly payment than waiting until your full retirement age or age 70.
- You must have worked and paid Social Security taxes for at least 10 years (40 quarters) to receive retirement benefits on your own record.
- The SSA sends you a benefit estimate statement that shows what you would receive at different ages; you can view yours online at ssa.gov.
- Payments are adjusted each year for inflation using the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which changed the payment amounts for 2025.
The 2025 Cost of Living Adjustment and payment changes
Each January, the SSA increases payments to account for inflation. The 2025 adjustment was set based on inflation data from 2024. This percentage increase applies to all Social Security payments — retirement, disability, and survivor benefits — and to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.
The exact percentage varies from year to year. You can find the 2025 COLA percentage on the SSA website (ssa.gov). If you receive Social Security, you will see the new payment amount on your January benefit statement or in your online account.
The COLA affects not only monthly payments but also the earnings limits that apply if you work while receiving benefits before your full retirement age. These limits also increase each year.
What determines your individual payment amount
The SSA uses a formula called the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) to calculate your benefit. This formula takes your average indexed monthly earnings — your 35 highest-earning years adjusted for wage growth — and applies a bend-point calculation that weights earlier earnings more heavily than later ones.
You do not need to understand the formula itself. What matters is that the SSA has a record of every year you worked and how much you earned. If your record is wrong, your payment will be wrong. You can check your earnings record for free on ssa.gov by creating a my Social Security account.
If you find errors — missing years, incorrect amounts, or earnings credited to the wrong person — you must report them to the SSA. The sooner you do this, the sooner they can correct your record and recalculate your benefit if needed.
Payments for spouses, ex-spouses, and family members
You may receive a Social Security payment based on someone else's work record if you are a spouse, ex-spouse, widow, widower, or dependent child. These payments are called family benefits. The amount you receive is a percentage of the primary worker's benefit amount, not a separate calculation.
A current spouse can receive up to 50 percent of the worker's full retirement age benefit if the spouse is at least 62 years old. An ex-spouse can receive the same amount if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and the ex-spouse is at least 62 and not remarried. Surviving spouses and children receive different percentages depending on their relationship to the deceased worker and their age.
Family benefits are subject to a family maximum. The total amount paid to all family members on one worker's record cannot exceed 150 to 180 percent of that worker's benefit amount. If the family maximum is reached, each family member's payment is reduced proportionally.
How payments are delivered and when they arrive
The SSA deposits Social Security payments directly into your bank account on a set schedule. Most payments arrive on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of each month, depending on your birth date. If you were born between the 1st and 10th of the month, you receive payment on the second Wednesday. If born between the 11th and 20th, you receive it on the third Wednesday. If born between the 21st and 31st, you receive it on the fourth Wednesday.
You must have a bank account to receive payments. The SSA no longer issues paper checks for regular monthly benefits, though they can issue a check if you do not have a bank account and request one in writing.
If a payment date falls on a federal holiday or weekend, the SSA deposits your payment on the business day before. You can check your payment schedule and view your benefit statement in your my Social Security account online.
Working while receiving Social Security before full retirement age
If you start receiving Social Security before your full retirement age and you work, the SSA will reduce your payment if your earnings exceed a certain limit. In 2025, this limit changes each year. For the year you reach your full retirement age, there is a higher limit that applies only to earnings before the month you turn that age.
The reduction is straightforward: for every $2 you earn above the limit, your benefit is reduced by $1. This is not a permanent loss — once you reach your full retirement age, the SSA recalculates your benefit to account for the months you did not receive a payment, which increases your future payments.
If you reach your full retirement age during the year, the earnings limit that applies to months before you turn that age is higher than the limit for earlier months. After you reach full retirement age, there is no earnings limit, and you can work and receive your full benefit.
Taxes on Social Security payments
Depending on your total income, a portion of your Social Security benefit may be subject to federal income tax. The SSA uses a formula based on your combined income, which includes your adjusted gross income, nontaxable interest, and half of your Social Security benefit.
If your combined income is below a certain threshold, your benefits are not taxed. If it exceeds the threshold, up to 50 percent or 85 percent of your benefit may be taxable, depending on how much your combined income exceeds the threshold. These thresholds have not changed since 1984 and do not adjust for inflation.
Some states also tax Social Security benefits, while others do not. You can find your state's rules on the SSA website. If you expect to owe tax on your benefits, you can request that the SSA withhold federal income tax from your payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I see what my Social Security payment will be?
Create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov. You can view your earnings record, see your estimated benefit at different ages, and check your current payment amount if you are already receiving benefits. The estimate shows what you would receive at 62, your full retirement age, and 70.
Can I change my mind after I start receiving Social Security?
You can withdraw your application within 12 months of starting benefits and repay what you received. After 12 months, you cannot withdraw, but you can suspend your benefits at your full retirement age and let them grow until 70. Suspended benefits increase by about 8 percent per year.
What happens to my Social Security if I move out of the United States?
You can receive Social Security payments while living in most countries. However, some countries have restrictions. If you plan to move abroad, contact the SSA before you leave. They will tell you what documents you need and how your payments will be sent.
Do I have to report my income to Social Security?
If you work while receiving benefits before your full retirement age, you must report your earnings to the SSA. You can do this online, by phone, or by mail. The SSA uses your reported earnings to calculate any reduction to your benefit for that year.
What if I never worked enough to receive my own benefit?
You may still receive a payment based on a spouse's or ex-spouse's work record if you meet the age and marriage requirements. Contact the SSA to find out what you might receive and what documents you need to provide.