Retirees, This Is the Maximum Social Security Check You Can Get This Year

Once you retire, there’s a good chance you’ll need your monthly Social Security income to manage your senior living costs. And even if you end up with a large pile of savings, the extra money from Social Security can still be a nice thing.

For this reason, it’s important to know what to expect from Social Security — and how much the program might pay you. And to that end, it might help you to know what the program’s highest monthly payout might amount to.

The most Social Security you can get in 2025

The maximum monthly benefit Social Security will pay out in 2025 is $5,108.

But let’s be very clear — the typical retired worker gets a much smaller monthly Social Security paycheck. In fact, the average monthly benefit among retirees as of January 2025 is about $1,979, which is a far cry from $5,108.

So how do some people wind up with so much more Social Security? Let’s dig in.

How Social Security benefits are calculated

Your monthly Social Security benefit is calculated based on how much money you earn during your 35 highest-paid years of work. Earlier wages in that formula are indexed for inflation to arrive at a monthly benefit amount.

But from there, your filing age plays a role in how much Social Security you get. If you file at your full retirement age (FRA), you get your full monthly benefit without any sort of reduction. FRA is 67 for people who were born in 1960 or any time after.

However, you’re allowed to sign up for Social Security as early as age 62. For each month you claim Social Security ahead of FRA, your monthly benefit gets reduced, though.

On the other hand, if you delay your Social Security claim past FRA, your monthly benefit increases for each month you wait. You can keep on boosting that benefit until you turn 70.

How some people manage to get $5,108 a month from Social Security

At this point, you’re probably wondering what it takes to squeeze $5,108 a month out of Social Security. After all, a sum that large could make for a pretty nice retirement, especially if it’s combined with savings you’ve accumulated on your own.

To score the program’s highest possible monthly benefit, you need a minimum 35-year work history, and you’ll need to have been a very high earner for 35 years or more.

What does “high earner” mean in this context? Basically, your income over your highest-paid 35 years of work needs to have met or exceeded the wage cap for Social Security taxes each year.

Social Security sets a limit on how much income it taxes annually to fund the program. In 2025, the wage cap is $176,100, which means earnings beyond that point aren’t taxed for Social Security purposes.

Over the past 35 years, the wage cap has increased quite a bit. But if your salary 35 years ago was high enough to hit or exceed the wage cap, it doesn’t matter if it was a lot smaller than $176,100 — it means you may be eligible for Social Security’s highest monthly benefit.

But earning enough to meet or beat the wage cap for 35 years isn’t enough if you want Social Security’s maximum benefit in retirement. You also need to delay your claim until age 70.

How to get more Social Security

Unless you’re a very high earner, you may not end up getting Social Security’s maximum benefit during retirement. Don’t be bummed about that, though.

As mentioned, most people don’t get $5,108 a month from Social Security. And the average senior gets a lot less.

Still, there are steps you can take to get more Social Security for your senior years. In addition to delaying your claim, you can try boosting your wages by fighting for promotions and taking on gig work. Reported income counts toward the wage cap if the IRS knows about it.

So for example, say you earn $140,000 this year from your job, but you also find a side gig that pays you $3,000 a month, or $36,000 per year. As long as you pay taxes on that $36,000, your wages for the year will count as $176,000 for Social Security purposes, which basically puts you at the wage cap for 2025.

All told, you should know that it’s not so easy to get the maximum Social Security benefit. So instead, focus on getting the most money you can.

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