Retirement Social Security

Here’s the Maximum Social Security Benefit for People Between Ages 62 to 85 in 2026

See 2026's maximum checks from ages 62 through 85.

By Katy Willis

Edited by Laura Hohenstein

Updated Dec. 17, 2025

Most people never hit the maximum Social Security benefit because it requires an exceptionally high earnings record. The maximums depend on your earnings record, the year you claim, and the age you are when you claim.

The average retiree can expect to receive around $2,071 in 2026. Whereas, the maximum possible benefit for a 70-year-old just starting their claim in 2026 is $5,181. You can see that retirees who've had a high-earning career for most of their 35 years can earn thousands of dollars more per month than the typical claimant.

Knowing what the maximums are lets you know what, if any, levers you can pull to increase your own senior benefits, from adding a few extra higher-earning years to deciding when to claim.

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Maximum benefit amounts for retirees in 2026

Because the Social Security Administration (SSA) doesn't publish exact maximums for every age, we've used the available maximums to calculate up to age 85.

For ages 71 to 85, we assumed people claimed at 70, had the same maximum base benefit, and applied all the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) from the year they turned 70, including the 2026 COLA.*

Age	Maximum Benefit in 2026
62	$2,969
63	$3,105
64	$3,257
65	$3,467
66	$3,752
67	$4,152
68	$4,506
69	$4,813
70	$5,181
71	$5,251
72	$5,135
73	$4,953
74	$4,957
75	$4,876
76	$4,806
77	$4,857
78	$4,897
79	$4,779
80	$4,844
81	$4,743
82	$4,719
83	$4,685
84	$4,644
85	$4,704

*Author's calculations based on available SSA data

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Who actually qualifies for the maximum benefit

To hit any of these maximums, you have to meet two tough conditions. First, you need to have 35 years of earnings at or above the taxable wage base. For 2026, for example, that's $184,500. But remember that the SSA doesn't count amounts above this toward your benefit, so earning above the taxable wage base won't increase your 35-year average.

Second, your claiming age matters. If you're at full retirement age in 2026 and have a high earnings record, you could achieve a maximum of $4,207. But to get the highest possible benefit amount of $5,181, you'd need to be 70 before you file in 2026 with the same kind of very high earning record.

For the vast majority of people, these maximum figures are out of reach. The average retired worker in 2026 will receive around $2,071 per month. That's not necessarily the amount you'll get, as it depends on claiming age and work history.

How to see your own potential benefit

You don't need to guess what your personal maximum looks like. And you shouldn't assume you'll come anywhere close to the maximums, either. Instead, get your real numbers. Log in to your "my Social Security account".

From there, you can see your maximum benefit amount at different filing ages. This can help you decide whether to file or to wait. Before you decide, check your earnings record. Make sure that your top 35 years are correctly reported. Even one or two under-reported or zero-dollar years can have a big impact on your overall benefit amount. If there's an error, submit a correction request.

If your record is accurate but lower than you'd like and you're still in good health and have a high-earning job, you have options. You may want to continue working until you get to age 70. Assuming you're at full retirement age, that adds three years of higher earnings that can pull up your overall average by knocking a few lower-earning years off your record.

If you can delay, you'll earn delayed retirement credits, which boost your benefit amount by roughly 8% per year until age 70. This would give you the maximum possible benefit based on your age and earnings record. But it's not possible for everyone and depends on your financial needs, employment status, and health.

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Bottom line

Maximum Social Security benefit amounts vary hugely from age 62 to 85. You'd need to have an exceptionally high earnings record for all of your 35 years of earning history. So these numbers aren't attainable for most people.

But, if you look at your own Social Security account, you may see that you still have room to maximize your senior benefits. If you're able, working for an extra year or two in a high-paying role can boost your earnings record. Plus, you'd be earning delayed retirement credits, boosting your benefits by 8% per year until you hit 70.

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