The Social Security Administration recently announced that the program's beneficiaries will receive a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, in 2026. Recipients will see this reflected in their monthly checks starting with the payment that arrives in January.
This boost also has implications for several other aspects of Social Security, including the maximum possible Social Security benefit. Here's the most a retiring worker can get each month in 2026, and what you would have to do in order to collect the maximum benefit.
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The maximum possible Social Security benefit in 2026
I won't keep you waiting. The most that a worker retiring at full retirement age (FRA) can get in 2026 will be $4,152 per month -- up from $4,018 in 2025. That adds up to $49,824 per year in inflation-protected retirement income.
Technically, people who reach full retirement age in 2026 won't quite be 67 years old. Specifically, the full retirement age for someone born in 1959 is 66 years and 10 months; the FRA rises to 67 for those born in 1960 or later.
Of course, not everyone claims Social Security at full retirement age. Many people start collecting Social Security at 62, the earliest age possible. Others choose to wait until they reach 70 -- the point beyond which there are no additional payment hikes to be gained by waiting. And many people claim their benefits at points between those two ages... but let's take a quick look at the two extremes.
Qualifying workers who are retiring at 62 in 2025 can get a maximum of $2,910 per month, or $34,920 per year. Those who wait until they turn 70 in 2026 to claim their benefit can get a maximum of about $5,251 per month, or $63,012 annually. As you can see, the age at which you choose to start taking Social Security can make a big difference.
How to get the maximum possible Social Security benefit
Spoiler alert: Very few American workers will qualify for the maximum possible Social Security benefits.
In order to get the highest Social Security benefit possible, three things must be true.
First, you will need to work for at least 35 years in Social Security-covered employment. Most people who work full-time throughout their adult life can check this box.
Second, you'll need to earn more than the annual maximum income taxable under the wage tax (which is separate from the income tax) in 35 separate years. Unlike most corporate pension plans, which consider just your top few years of earnings, Social Security is calculated based on your 35 highest-earning years, after adjusting for inflation. They don't necessarily need to be consecutive years, but you'll need to have exceeded the maximum in 35 different years.
For context, in 2025, the maximum amount of income that you can pay Social Security wage taxes on is $176,100. Money earned above that amount is not subject to the FICA tax -- but it also doesn't impact what you'll eventually be able to collect from the retirement program.
As you can imagine, most people don't earn this much. In fact, only about 6% of Americans earn more than the FICA taxable maximum in any single year -- so you can assume that a much smaller percentage do so in 35 separate years.
Third, to really max out Social Security, you'll need to wait until 70 to claim your benefits. Waiting beyond your full retirement age will increase your benefit by 8% per year, but you can't keep accruing more delayed retirement credits once you turn 70. It's also worth noting that this percentage is prorated monthly -- giving you a 0.67% bump per month -- so even if you wait just a few extra months to claim your benefit, it could have a noticeable impact on your checks.
What if you don't get the max?
The vast majority of American workers don't qualify for the maximum Social Security benefit. But the good news is that the 2.8% COLA applies to everyone. According to the latest update from the agency, the average retired worker gets $2,008 per month from Social Security, and this should increase to about $2,064 after the COLA goes into effect. So, when January rolls around, you should notice a boost in your Social Security income.
