Retirement Social Security

Here's the Maximum Social Security Benefit You Could Receive at 62, 67, and 70 in 2026

2026 maximum benefits at 62, 67, and 70.

By Katy Willis

Edited by Laura Hohenstein

Updated Nov. 10, 2025

Your filing age has a huge impact on your Social Security check. The longer you wait, up to age 70, the larger your monthly benefit for the remainder of your life. To get the absolute maximum benefit at whatever age you retire, you'll need an exceptional 35-year earning record.

Very few people reach the absolute ceiling because it requires decades of very high earnings. Even if you do hit the maximums, your benefit amount is still determined by the age at which you claim, as early retirement can reduce your monthly check while delaying to age 70 increases it.

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What the maximums are in 2026

To understand the maximum, it helps to know how benefits are determined. The Social Security Administration averages your highest 35 years of wage-indexed earnings to find your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME). This amount is run through a formula to calculate your primary insurance amount (PIA), which is your benefit amount at full retirement age (FRA).

If you file early, the amount is adjusted downward to compensate for the extra months or years of benefit receipt. If you delay filing past FRA, the monthly amount is adjusted upward.

There's also a cap on how much of your earnings is counted toward your benefit amount. In 2026, the taxable maximum is $184,500. Therefore, anything you earn above that amount doesn't count toward your retirement benefit. Hitting the absolute maximum in retirement benefits requires you to earn at or above the maximum taxable amount for 35 years.

In 2026, the maximum benefit amounts are:

At age 62: $2,969 per month
At age 67: $4,207 per month
At age 70: $5,181 per month

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Why the spread is so large

Delaying your claim past FRA adds delayed retirement credits (DRCs) to your benefit amount until you reach age 70. Past 70, you do not receive any further DRCs. But, from FRA to age 70, you accrue DRCs at about 8% per year (or two-thirds of 1% per month). So, assuming your full retirement age is 67, if you delayed filing until you hit 70, you'd receive roughly 24% more in benefits.

Filing early has the opposite effect. If you start benefits at 62, you permanently lock in a reduction of around 30% compared to the FRA benefit. For every month your claim before your FRA, the SSA reduces your check by five-ninths of a percent for the first 36 months and five twelfths of a percent for every month thereafter.

Therefore, delaying until 70 can increase your monthly benefit by nearly a quarter. However, filing at 62 can reduce your monthly check by almost a third.

What it takes to get close to the maximum

Your earnings history must be exceptional and sustained. The benefit formula is based on your 35 highest earning years. If you don't have 35 years of recorded earnings history, then the missing years get filled with zeros, which significantly pulls down your average.

For most people, real life gets in the way of a perfect earning record. Parenthood, caregiving, layoffs, lower-paid work, and late-career shifts can all cause lower-earning years that sneak into your top 35. You'd need to earn at or above the taxable earnings for the majority of those 35 years. This is incredibly challenging because the cap rises almost every year. This is why most people don't hit it consistently for 35 years.

Some people can delay retirement and add some late-career high-earning years to replace some or all of those lower ones and potentially reach their maximum. However, some people who do achieve the maximum are forced to retire early at 62 instead of waiting until FRA or delaying until 70. Health concerns, family needs, or caregiving requirements can force someone into early retirement, lowering their overall benefit amount.

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What this means for your retirement plan

Even if you know you'll never hit the maximum possible retirement benefit, you can still aim to maximize your entitlement. Run your own numbers by creating a "my Social Security account" to see, based on where things stand right now, how much your benefit would be at 62, 67, and 70 years. It's also a good opportunity to check your earnings record and make sure there are no missing or underreported years that could be pulling down your average.

Regardless of your baseline benefit amount, delaying claiming, even by just a year or two, can give you a significant bump in your check for life. That said, there's no right answer that applies to everyone.

If delaying to 70 means draining savings at a bad time or stressing your budget because you're unable to work, then the trade-off of a reduced early-filing check may be worth it. Likewise, if you are in good health and have a couple of low-income years in your top 35, replacing those over the next couple of years by staying in a higher-paid job can nudge your benefit higher.

Bottom line

For 2026, the maximum possible Social Security baseline benefit for retirees 67 is $4,207 per month. For those who achieve the maximum 35-year earnings record but retire early at 62, the maximum monthly benefit drops to $2,969. If they wait until 70, they'll receive $5,181 per month. These figures are only for people who managed to earn at or above the taxable maximum for most of their top 35 years of earnings.

Check your "my Social Security" account to find out your exact benefit amount at different filing ages, and to make sure there are no errors on your record. You may also want to consider working for an extra year or two if you're in a job that pays more than some of the lower-earning years in your top 35 to maximize your senior benefits. However, depending on your health and lifestyle needs, retiring early may be your best option.

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