Some Married Couples Get $10,362 in Social Security - Here's What it Takes to Be One of Them

For some married couples across the United States, $10,362 in monthly Social Security income lands in their bank accounts each month in 2026. Receiving $124,344 in guaranteed income would eliminate some of the stress of living on Social Security, especially for those who receive closer to the average Social Security benefit of $2,071.

Most households will never receive over $100,000 from the Social Security Administration, but it is possible. Here's what you'd need to do to get it.

How do some couples get $10,362 in monthly Social Security income?

In order for a married couple to collect $10,362 in monthly Social Security income, they would each need to earn the maximum allowable monthly Social Security retirement benefit in 2026.

As the Social Security Administration reports, the maximum monthly benefit is $5,181.

Breaking down the annual income

Each spouse can collect their own Social Security check while both spouses are alive. So, if both people in the marriage get the largest amount available from Social Security, they'll be on track for $124,344 in combined benefits this year.

However, there are two things both spouses must do to make that happen.

Earn the maximum average wage

Social Security benefits are directly based on the average wages in your 35 highest-earning years (after adjusting for inflation). There is, however, a cap on the wages that count when calculating your average wages. As a result, there is also a cap on your benefit.

Workers pay Social Security taxes only on income up to the wage base limit. And only income up to the wage base limit counts in calculating the average wages that benefits are based on. The wage base limit is $184,500 in 2026. It's adjusted for inflation each year, so it is essentially always the inflation-adjusted equivalent of this amount.

Understanding the wage base limit

The wage base limit is the reason for the cap on Social Security. If people paid taxes and received benefits based on all their wages, someone who consistently earns $1 million could end up receiving close to $400,000 in Social Security income. The wage base limit exists to keep benefit payouts reasonable.

So, for a married couple to get the max $10,362 in monthly Social Security income, each spouse would have to earn at least the inflation-adjusted equivalent of $184,500 for 35 or more years. Their minimum household income would need to be $369,000.

Wait until age 70

If both spouses earn the inflation-adjusted equivalent of $184,500 for 35 years, then they are on track for the largest possible primary insurance amount (PIA). That's the benefit they get at full retirement age (67 for anyone born in 1960 or later).

However, the maximum PIA isn't the maximum total benefit. That's because you can increase your primary insurance amount by earning delayed retirement credits. These credits increase your monthly benefit by 0.67% for each month you delay past your FRA. You can earn them until age 70.

The math behind waiting

Since you can raise your standard benefit by 24% if you delay claiming Social Security from 67 to 70, you must do that to max out your Social Security checks.

Each spouse would need to forgo years of Social Security benefits, which become available at 62, so they could both max out their combined Social Security income and get $10,362 per month.

What about the family maximum?

It may seem odd that Social Security would send so much money to one couple, but the reality is that while there is a "family maximum," it doesn't apply to limit benefits in this situation. The family maximum limits how much you can collect in total retirement and disability benefits on one person's work record.

In this case, each spouse is claiming benefits based on their own work history — so if each person pays the maximum taxes into the system, they can get the max benefit out. They're entitled to $124,344 per year based on the overtime they each paid.

Bottom line

While a $10,362 monthly Social Security benefit would be nice, the reality is that most couples don't even have one spouse earning the inflation-adjusted equivalent of $184,500 consistently for 35 years or more, much less two spouses doing so.

Most people can expect much smaller benefits and should base their retirement plan on the assumption that Social Security will replace about 40% of their pre-retirement income. This is not enough to live on by itself, so saving extra money in a 401(k), IRA, or other tax-advantaged account will be key to achieving financial security as a senior.

Of course, everyone can try to maximize their benefits by earning as much as possible and delaying a Social Security claim until 70 to max out delayed retirement credits. But unless you were consistently one of the highest earners in the country throughout your career, and your spouse was too, a $10,362 combined Social Security income is probably off the table for you.

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