Social Security 2027 Numbers

The 2027 cost-of-living adjustment is 3.6%, effective for benefits payable in January 2027. The figures below gather the wage base, retirement earnings-test limits, recent PIA bend points, and full retirement age schedule in one reference. They are dated to the SSA material reviewed November 2, 2026; when a current agency page changes, consult that page directly.

The taxable maximum, also called the contribution and benefit base, is $192,300 for 2027. The comparable values in the supplied official fact set are $184,500 for 2026 and $176,100 for 2025. This is the annual earnings ceiling for Social Security payroll tax purposes; it is not a cap on a retiree's monthly benefit. SSA publishes the series and related payroll details on its contribution and benefit base page.

For the retirement earnings test, a beneficiary under full retirement age throughout the year may have $1 withheld for every $2 of wages and net self-employment earnings above $25,560 in 2027. In 2026 the corresponding limit is $24,480. In the calendar year full retirement age is reached, the higher limit is $67,920 in 2027 and $65,160 in 2026; the $1-for-$3 formula applies only to earnings in months before the FRA month. Beginning with the month FRA is reached, the earnings test no longer applies. Pensions and investment income are not counted as earnings for this test.

Benefit formula bend points

The primary insurance amount formula applies 90%, 32%, and 15% to separate slices of AIME. The two bend points depend on the year a worker turns 62. These recent values are useful for checking a hand calculation; the linked SSA table controls if a value is updated.

AIME is based on indexed earnings, generally using the highest 35 years and dividing their total by 420 months. A bend-point estimate cannot replace the earnings record used by SSA. The site benefit estimator takes AIME as an input and labels its later-year assumption when a bend-point year has not yet been published.

Full retirement age schedule

SSA says a person born on January 1 uses the prior year for this age rule. Claiming before FRA reduces a retirement benefit by monthly increments; delayed credits can raise it after FRA through age 70. The claiming-age calculator illustrates those formulas but does not include a full SSA record, spouse benefits, or survivor details.

Federal taxation thresholds

Federal tax may apply when combined income—adjusted gross income plus tax-exempt interest plus half of Social Security benefits—exceeds $25,000 for single, head-of-household, or qualifying-surviving-spouse filers, or $32,000 for married filing jointly. The upper threshold is $34,000 for the first group and $44,000 for joint filers. Up to 50% of benefits may be taxable in the middle tier and up to 85% above the upper threshold; no more than 85% is taxable under this formula. A married person filing separately who lived with a spouse during the year has a special zero base amount. The thresholds are not indexed for inflation. Use IRS Publication 915 for the worksheet and the tax calculator here only as a federal estimate.

How to use this reference

Each figure is a program parameter, not a personal estimate. Earnings-test withholding depends on the benefit schedule and month count, the PIA depends on indexed earnings, and taxation depends on the full tax return. The 3.6% adjustment raises a gross benefit according to SSA's rule, while a deposit may reflect deductions. BenefitWise does not model trust-fund outcomes or legislative changes. It is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by SSA; confirm your official amount and record through my Social Security.