It might sound hard to believe, but some seniors actually take home more than $5,000 a month in Social Security benefits. That kind of guaranteed money coming in each month could probably boost your standard of living quite a bit, especially when combined with personal savings.
If you hope to take home the largest possible benefit, though, there are three boxes you need to check. Many workers manage one, if not two, of these, but earning the required salary is a pretty tall order.
Image source: Getty Images.
What do you need to do to claim the max $5,108 Social Security benefit?
The first thing you must do if you hope to have a chance at the maximum Social Security benefit is to work for at least 35 years before signing up for checks. That's because the Social Security Administration looks at your average monthly earnings over your 35 highest-earning years when calculating your benefit. If you have a shorter work history, you may still receive benefits, but they'll be smaller because you'll have zero-income years factored in.
The second thing you have to do is wait until you're 70 to apply for Social Security. That's when you qualify for your largest possible benefits. You're allowed to sign up as early as 62, but every month you delay increases your monthly checks. Of course, you have to have a job or personal savings so you can afford to delay Social Security until 70. And you want to be reasonably sure that you'll live into your mid-80s or beyond. Otherwise, you might get a larger lifetime benefit by claiming Social Security earlier.
The final thing you have to do to claim the maximum benefit is earn the maximum taxable earnings in each of your 35 highest-earning years. But pulling this off requires a salary that most people never earn in a single year, let alone consistently.
How much do you have to earn to claim the maximum Social Security benefit?
The Social Security Administration doesn't tax all income during the year. In 2025, it only taxes the first $176,100 you earn. This limit was lower in past years. The government adjusts it annually. It'll announce the 2026 taxable wage base around the time it announces next year's Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
If you've earned at or over $176,100 in at least 35 years, you stand a good chance of receiving the maximum Social Security checks in retirement. If you're not sure whether your income was high enough in the past, you can check it against the taxable wage base for previous years. If your income exceeded the taxable wage base for a given year, then you paid the maximum amount of Social Security payroll taxes in that year.
Most Americans aren't going to come close to this, but that's OK. Now that you understand which factors determine the size of your Social Security benefit, you can take steps to maximize your own checks by:
- Working at least 35 years -- or even longer -- before signing up for Social Security if you're able to.
- Doing what you can to increase your earnings during your working years.
- Delaying your Social Security claim if that makes sense for you based on your finances and life expectancy.
You can see how different claiming ages and income estimates could affect your future checks by creating a my Social Security account. You'll have to answer some identity verification questions the first time you sign up. After this, you'll be able to create a username and password for future logins.
There's a benefit estimator tool there that can help you get an idea of what kind of check you can expect at every possible claiming age based on your work history to date and projected income changes. If you're married, you can also estimate your spousal benefit here. You can use these estimates to decide on a tentative claiming age and then plan the rest of your retirement budget around that.
