What work credits are and why they matter

Work credits are the measure Social Security uses to decide whether you can receive benefits and, in some cases, how much you get. You earn one credit for each quarter of the year you work and pay Social Security taxes. Most people need 40 credits total to receive retirement benefits — that is roughly 10 years of full-time work. Survivors and disability benefits have different credit requirements that depend on your age when you become disabled or die.

The amount you earn in a quarter does not matter as much as whether you earned enough to get a credit that quarter. In 2024, you need to earn $1,705 in a quarter to get one credit, though this amount changes each year. You can earn a maximum of four credits per year, one per quarter, no matter how much you earn.

Credits stay on your record permanently. If you worked for 15 years and then stopped, those 60 credits remain yours. You do not have to work continuously or recently to use them — they simply sit there until you reach retirement age or until you need them for a disability or survivor claim.

Key Takeaways

  • You earn one work credit per quarter when you earn at least $1,705 in that quarter (2024 amount), up to four credits per year.
  • Retirement benefits require 40 credits, which typically takes about 10 years of work, but you do not have to earn them recently.
  • Disability and survivor benefits have lower credit requirements that depend on your age when you become disabled or when a family member dies.
  • Your Social Security statement shows exactly how many credits you have earned and what benefits you may be on track to receive.
  • If you do not have enough credits now, you can continue working to earn more, and credits from decades ago still count.

How many credits you need for retirement benefits

To receive Social Security retirement benefits, you need 40 work credits. Because you can earn a maximum of four credits per year, this means you typically need about 10 years of work history. The year you were born determines your full retirement age — the age at which you receive 100 percent of your benefit amount. If you claim before that age, your monthly payment is reduced; if you delay past it, your payment increases.

You can claim retirement benefits as early as age 62, but you will receive a permanently lower amount each month. Most people reach their full retirement age between 66 and 67, depending on birth year. If you wait until age 70, your benefit increases by about 8 percent per year beyond your full retirement age.

The 40-credit requirement is the same for everyone, regardless of how much you earned or how long you worked. Someone who worked 10 years at minimum wage and someone who worked 10 years at a high salary both have 40 credits and both can claim retirement benefits at the same age.

Disability and survivor benefits credit requirements

Disability benefits and survivor benefits have different credit rules than retirement. To receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you generally need 40 credits, but at least 20 of them must have been earned in the 10 years before you become disabled. This means a 30-year-old who has not worked recently may not have enough recent credits to may have access to, even if they worked full-time years ago.

Survivor benefits — paid to your family members if you die — depend on your age at death. If you die before age 24, your family may receive benefits if you had only 6 credits earned in the 3 years before your death. If you die between ages 24 and 31, you generally need credits for half the time between age 21 and your death. At 31 and older, you need 40 credits with at least 20 earned in the 10 years before death.

Young workers should know that even a few years of work can protect their family. A 22-year-old who works for two years and then dies has earned enough credits for their spouse and children to receive survivor benefits.

How to check your work credits and earnings record

Your Social Security statement shows your complete earnings history and the number of credits you have earned. You can create an account at ssa.gov and view your statement online for free. The statement lists your earnings for each year you worked and shows how many credits you have earned so far.

Review your earnings record carefully. If you see years where you earned money but no credits were recorded, or if earnings are missing or wrong, you can request a correction. Social Security has a limited time window to correct errors — typically three years, three months, and 15 days from the end of the year the earnings were reported. If you find an error, contact your local Social Security office with pay stubs, W-2 forms, or tax returns as proof.

Your statement also estimates your retirement benefit amount at different claiming ages and shows whether you are on track to have enough credits. If you are not yet at 40 credits, the statement estimates how much longer you need to work.

What happens if you do not have enough credits

If you reach retirement age without 40 credits, you cannot receive Social Security retirement benefits based on your own work record. You can continue working to earn more credits — there is no age limit on earning credits. Even if you are 75 years old and have only 30 credits, you can work and earn 10 more credits to reach 40.

If you are married, you may be able to receive benefits based on your spouse's work record instead. Spousal benefits require that your spouse is at least 62 years old (or any age if they are already receiving benefits) and that you have been married for at least one year. Your spousal benefit is typically up to 50 percent of what your spouse receives at their full retirement age.

If you are divorced, you may also be able to use your ex-spouse's record if you were married for at least 10 years, are at least 62, and are not currently married. This does not reduce your ex-spouse's benefit or tell them you have claimed on their record.

Self-employment and work credits

If you are self-employed, you earn work credits the same way as employees — by earning enough in a quarter to get a credit. You pay Social Security taxes through self-employment tax on your net business income. For 2024, you need $1,705 in net self-employment income in a quarter to earn one credit.

Self-employed people sometimes miss credits because they do not realize they need to report their income to Social Security. If you file a tax return, Social Security gets your earnings information from the IRS. If you do not file a return because your income was below the filing threshold, you will not earn credits for that year even if you worked.

Keep records of your business income and expenses. If you later need to prove you worked in a particular year, your tax returns and business records are the best evidence.

Work credits and government pensions

If you worked in a job where you did not pay Social Security taxes — such as some government positions, railroad work, or certain foreign government jobs — those years do not count toward your 40 credits. However, if you also worked in jobs where you did pay Social Security taxes, those credits count normally.

Some people have a mix of covered and non-covered work. For example, you might have worked 15 years for a state government (no Social Security taxes) and then 20 years for a private employer (with Social Security taxes). You would have 20 credits from the private work and could not use the government years toward your 40-credit requirement.

If you receive a pension from work where you did not pay Social Security taxes, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) may reduce your Social Security benefit. This rule applies if you are also receiving a government pension and claiming Social Security based on your own work record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I earn work credits after I start receiving benefits?

Yes. If you claim retirement benefits before your full retirement age and continue working, you can still earn new credits. However, your benefits may be temporarily reduced if your earnings exceed a certain amount. Once you reach your full retirement age, there is no earnings limit and you can work without any reduction to your benefits.

Do I need to work every year to keep my credits?

No. Credits do not expire or disappear. If you earned 40 credits by age 30 and then never worked again, those 40 credits remain on your record forever. You can claim retirement benefits at 62 or any age after that using those credits from decades ago.

What if I worked in another country?

Work in most countries does not count toward Social Security credits unless you were a U.S. citizen or resident alien working for a U.S. employer. Some countries have agreements with the United States that allow work in those countries to count. Contact Social Security directly if you worked abroad and are unsure whether those years count.

How often does the credit amount change?

Social Security adjusts the earnings amount needed for a credit each year based on average wage growth. The amount typically increases slightly each year. You can find the current year's amount on ssa.gov or by calling Social Security.

Can I get credits for years I did not work?

No. You must earn credits by working and paying Social Security taxes. There is no way to purchase credits or have years credited without earnings. However, if you have a child under age 16, you can receive a one-time credit for up to four years of child-rearing, but this is rare and has specific rules.