You'll often hear that it's very difficult to retire on Social Security alone. And if your monthly benefit is in line with the average recipient's, then that statement probably holds true.
But what if you were eligible for $5,251 a month in Social Security? That alone gives you an annual income of about $63,000, which may be enough for a comfortable lifestyle if you don't have very large expenses.
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That $5,251 represents the maximum monthly benefit Social Security will pay retirees in 2026. And you may be wondering what you need to do to get it.
Let's review what it takes to score Social Security's maximum benefit, with the understanding that you probably won't get it -- and that's OK.
How to snag the maximum Social Security benefit
To be eligible for Social Security's maximum monthly benefit, you need to do three things.
First, you need to work a minimum of 35 years. Next, you need to pay the maximum amount of Social Security tax for 35 years or more. Finally, you need to delay your Social Security claim past full retirement age, all the way to age 70.
Working for 35 years may be possible if you don't take many career breaks and don't retire particularly early. Delaying Social Security may also be possible if you're willing to work until age 70.
But to be on the hook for Social Security's maximum tax each year, you need to earn the equivalent of the program's wage cap or more. That's a high number. And it explains why so few people end up getting Social Security's maximum monthly benefit.
In 2025, Social Security's wage cap is $176,100, so earnings beyond that point aren't taxed to fund the program. In 2026, the wage cap is rising to $184,500, so the maximum amount of Social Security tax anyone has to pay next year is $22,878 (or half of that for those who are salaried workers and therefore split that bill with their employers).
In a nutshell, if you don't have 35 years where you've earned the equivalent of Social Security's wage cap or more, you won't get the program's maximum monthly benefit. But you can also make up for a smaller monthly benefit by saving more.
Boost your savings to be less reliant on Social Security
Even if you're eligible for Social Security's maximum monthly benefit, it may not be enough to live on. Remember, to get that benefit, you need to earn a high paycheck for many years. Someone who's used to earning $176,100 or $184,500 may not be able to live comfortably on about $63,000 a year in Social Security, even with some lifestyle cuts.
Meanwhile, if you know you don't really have a chance at scoring Social Security's maximum monthly benefit, a great way to compensate is to fund an IRA or 401(k) consistently. Doing so could lead to a generous retirement income even if your Social Security benefit each month is nowhere close to $5,251.
Imagine you contribute $500 a month to a retirement account over a 35-year period. If your investments give you an annual 8% return, which is a bit below the stock market's average, you could end up with about a little more than $1 million. Really.
Now if you use the popular 4% rule, a nest egg that size allows you to have about $40,000 a year of income. Even if you're only eligible for $24,000 a year in Social Security, which is roughly what the average recipient gets today, that's not a bad income in total.
So while it's a good thing to know what it takes to get the maximum monthly Social Security benefit, you may not want to focus too much time or energy bemoaning your inability to qualify for it. Instead, focus on saving and investing well for retirement so you're able to live comfortably on a lot less Social Security than what the maximum benefit allows for.
