If you are receiving Social Security retirement benefits, how much you can earn while working depends on your age relative to your full retirement age (FRA):
- If you are under full retirement age for the entire year in 2025 , you can earn up to $23,400 without any reduction in your benefits. If you earn more than this, $1 in benefits will be withheld for every $2 you earn above the limit
- If you reach full retirement age during 2025 , the earnings limit before your birthday month is $62,160. For earnings above this limit, $1 in benefits is withheld for every $3 earned over the limit. After you reach full retirement age, there is no limit on how much you can earn without affecting your benefits
- Once you have reached full retirement age , there is no earnings limit, and you can earn any amount without a reduction in your Social Security benefits
The earnings test only counts wages or net profit from self-employment; it does not count pensions, investment income, or other government benefits
. In summary, in 2025:
- Under FRA all year: earn up to $23,400 without penalty.
- Reach FRA in 2025: earn up to $62,160 (before birthday month) without penalty.
- At or after FRA: no limit on earnings.
If you exceed these limits, your Social Security benefits will be reduced accordingly until you reach full retirement age, at which point withheld benefits are recalculated and potentially restored
