From earnings record to PIA
The primary insurance amount is the monthly benefit amount associated with full retirement age before claiming-age adjustments. This estimator asks for a birth year, an optional full birth date, and either AIME or average annual indexed earnings. It does not retrieve a wage record or calculate indexing from individual earnings. For official earnings-based estimates, SSA provides my Social Security and a Quick Calculator.
Average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) generally reflects indexed earnings over a worker's highest 35 years, divided across 420 months; years without earnings can count as zeros. The estimator's annual alternative simply divides the number entered by 12. That shortcut is only a convenience; it is not a wage-indexing engine.
The 90/32/15 formula
The formula applies 90% to the AIME slice through the first bend point, 32% to the slice between the first and second bend points, and 15% to any amount above the second bend point. The resulting PIA is rounded down to the next lower dime. Bend points depend on the year the worker turns 62. The included recent official values are 2025: $1,226 and $7,391; 2026: $1,286 and $7,749; and 2027: $1,340 and $8,077. The script includes a longer set of earlier years as shown in its table.
A full birth date, if supplied, determines the birth year even if the separate year field differs. SSA's January 1 rule treats the person as born in the previous year for age calculations, so both FRA and the year turning 62 shift accordingly. The tool covers 1943 and later. For a turn-62 year beyond the published 2027 values, it uses the latest included bend points and states that limitation. For a year earlier than its table, it explicitly notes the earliest values used.
Worked hypothetical example
Assume an example AIME of $6,000 and a worker turning 62 in 2026. The first slice contributes 90% of $1,286, or $1,157.40. The middle slice is $6,000 minus $1,286, or $4,714; 32% of that is $1,508.48. There is no top slice because $6,000 is below the second bend point of $7,749. The raw total is $2,665.88 and rounds down to $2,665.80. The script uses this calculation and then gives rough age-62, FRA, and age-70 amounts before COLAs.
Limits of the output
Actual SSA calculations use the person's indexed earnings record, coverage history, and applicable rules. The AIME is not necessarily the average salary from a recent year. A work record with fewer than 35 years may have zero years in the average; a later year can change the result if it becomes one of the highest 35. The estimate does not include family benefits, earnings-test withholding, taxes, or future changes to the record.
The age 62/FRA/70 estimates apply the retirement reduction or delayed credit factors to the estimated PIA. They do not apply annual COLAs. A January 1 birthday receives the prior-year convention, and the on-page note identifies its use. Check your statement for a benefit estimate based on SSA's actual record.
Common input mistakes
Do not enter a monthly salary in the annual earnings field. If entering AIME directly, use the monthly indexed average, not total lifetime earnings. If both fields have values, the direct AIME field is used when positive. The form's example amounts demonstrate units, not a typical worker's history. Review bend-point notes before treating an out-of-range year as precise.