Social Security Calculator

Marital status does not affect the retirement benefit you’re eligible to get based on your earnings record, but it can affect what other benefits you might qualify for. 

For example, if you were divorced after at least 10 years of marriage, you may be able to receive divorced-spouse benefits based on your ex-spouse’s earnings history. If you’re widowed, you may be entitled to survivor benefits. In most cases, you’re eligible for these if you’re at least 60 years old and were married at least nine months before your spouse died.

Our calculator does not calculate spouse, divorced-spouse or survivor benefits. For these scenarios, consult the SSA website.

In most cases, receiving a pension will not affect your Social Security status. A potential exception is when the pension comes from a workplace where you did not pay Social Security taxes (as is the case for some state and local government agencies). If you are receiving such a pension and also collect Social Security based on other employment, your benefit payment could be reduced.

Workers who are at least age 62 and who have worked at least 10 combined years at jobs for which they paid Social Security taxes are eligible for Social Security retirement benefits.

In many cases, spouses, widows and widowers, and divorced people are eligible for benefits based on a current or former spouse’s earnings history. Unmarried children 18 and younger (or older, in some cases, if they have a disability or are still attending secondary school) can also get benefits based on a retired or deceased parent’s earnings record.

Primarily through payroll taxes. The current tax rate for Social Security is 12.4 percent of gross income. For most workers, that’s split between employer and employee — 6.2 percent each. If you’re self-employed, you pay the entire amount. The government collects Social Security tax on wages up to $176,100 in 2025. 

That’s a question only you can answer. Financial advisers generally recommend starting as late as you can, because the longer you wait, the bigger your monthly payment. But the right time for you may depend on other factors, such as your health, marital status, spending habits and how much you have saved for retirement.

Keep in mind that Social Security was never intended to be the sole source of income for retirees. Traditionally, the retirement system in the U.S. has been a three-legged stool: Social Security, pensions and savings. However, employers, especially in the private sector, have moved away from pension plans in favor of tax-deferred retirement savings accounts such as 401(k) plans, increasing the importance of individual savings as a source of later-in-life income to complement Social Security.

No. The calculator only estimates retirement benefits.

SSDI is designed for people who can’t do most work because they have a severe medical condition — one expected to last at least a year or result in death. Your SSDI benefits last only as long as you are prevented from earning a living due to a medical impairment.

SSI is a separate benefit program for people with little or no income or assets who are 65 or older, blind or have disabilities. The maximum monthly federal SSI payment for 2025 is $967 for a single person and $1,450 for a married couple in which both spouses qualify for the program (some states add to that), but you may receive less than the maximum if you or your family has other income.