Maximum Social Security retirement benefits by age in 2025: Doing it this way gets you more money

If you want to receive monthly Social Security payments in 2025, you have to meet certain qualifications. While the conditions are not negotiable, there is flexibility regarding how old you file for retirement provided you are at least 62 years old.

Some workers who obtain Social Security Disability Insurance can begin receiving benefits prior to reaching 62, but because of a qualifying disability, they can. In the United States, generally you will need 40 work credits to begin receiving retirement benefit payments.
Maximum Social Security payment at 62
The largest Social Security payment at 62 will be $2,831 in 2025. However, this is only possible if you:

have worked for at least 35 years

have had jobs covered by SSA and paid enough payroll taxes
earned the taxable maximum (35 years too)
filed at 62
Even if this seems to be a huge check, filing for retirement benefits at the age of 62 means getting less money. The Administration will reduce benefits by about 30% for those who choose early filing at 62.

Maximum Social Security payments at Full Retirement Age & at 70

If you attain Full Retirement Age in 2025, you can receive up to $4,018 from Social Security. The Full Retirement Age varies from one person to another because it depends on the year you were born.

For instance, if you were born in 1960 or later, then your Full Retirement Age is 67. So, if you turn 70 in 2025, then you can collect the largest Social Security payment that retirees can collect this year.

Actually, according to the Social Security Administration, a 70-year-old can earn as much as $5,108 a month in 2025. The requirements are still the same as for the scenarios discussed above at age 62; however, the only difference lies in the age you file..

On average, retirement benefit payments tend to be much lower. Thus, these maximum amounts are only for those who were high earners for 35 years or more. The average check as of January 2025 is just $1,976.

What are the benefits of delaying Social Security benefits past age 62?
Although each individual’s situation is unique, here are the primary benefits of waiting beyond the earliest eligibility age:

Higher Monthly Payments

If you start taking the benefits at 62, the monthly check will be reduced by a certain percentage for each month before your FRA.
If you wait until your FRA (between 66 and 67, depending on the year you were born), you get 100% of your primary insurance amount.
For each year beyond your FRA up to age 70, your benefit could be increased about 8 percent annually, leading to a substantially greater monthly benefit.

Greater Lifetime Benefits (If You Live Longer)

Starting benefits early increases the total number of payments you receive, but delaying Social Security until FRA or age 70 often produces a higher overall benefit if you have a longer-than-average life expectancy.
Break-even analyses typically conclude that you will break even if you live into your mid-80s or beyond.
Larger Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs)

COLAs apply a percentage increase to your benefit amount to keep pace with inflation.
By delaying your claim, the annual COLA is calculated on a larger base amount, which can magnify the dollar increases over time.

Potentially Higher Survivor Benefits

If you are married, delaying your own benefit can increase the survivor benefit for your spouse should you pass away first.
It allows the surviving spouse to receive a more substantial amount of the monthly benefit that was being received while the individual is alive.

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