Will You Qualify for Social Security's Biggest Paycheck of $5,108 in 2025?

For millions of Americans, Social Security is more than just a check. The program keeps around 16.3 million adults age 65 and older out of poverty, according to 2024 data from the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The average payment varies significantly based on many factors, such as income and age. According to the most recent data from the Social Security Administration released in March 2025, the average payment among retired workers is around $1,981 per month.

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However, in 2025, the maximum payment is a staggering $5,108 per month. Here are the three factors that will determine whether you qualify for this check.

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1. Your work history

Most people only need to work and pay Social Security taxes for 10 years to qualify for retirement benefits. To earn as much as possible, though, you'll need to work for at least 35 years.

Your benefit amount is calculated based on an average of your wages throughout the 35 years of your career you earned the most. That average is then run through a complex formula and adjusted for inflation, and the result is the amount you'll receive at your full retirement age.

Working for fewer than 35 years means you'll have zeros included in your average, which will lower your benefit. To collect the maximum $5,108 monthly payments, you'll need to ensure you've worked a minimum of 35 full years before you begin claiming benefits.

2. Your claiming age

Your benefit amount based on your career earnings is what you'll receive by filing at your full retirement age -- which is age 67 for everyone born in 1960 or later. If you file before or after that age, it will affect the size of your checks.

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To receive the maximum $5,108 monthly benefit, you'll need to wait until age 70 to begin taking Social Security. File any earlier than that, and your checks will be permanently reduced by up to 30%.

In fact, even if you meet all of the other requirements for the maximum payments, the most you can receive at age 62 is only $2,831 per month. At age 65, the maximum benefit is $3,374 per month, and at 67, it's $4,043 per month.

3. Your salary

Working for 35 years and waiting until age 70 to take benefits is only half the battle. You'll also need to meet certain salary requirements throughout your career to earn as much as possible.

The maximum taxable earnings limit is the highest income subject to Social Security taxes. The more you earn up to that limit, the higher your benefit amount will be.

The limit changes annually to account for any cost-of-living shifts, but in 2025, it's $176,100 per year. You'll have to have been reaching the maximum taxable earnings limit consistently throughout your career to earn the highest possible payments. For context, the wage cap 35 years ago in 1990 was $51,300 per year.

Small steps to boost your benefits

The maximum benefit will be out of reach for the average worker, and that's OK. It's incredibly difficult to meet all three of these requirements. That said, the closer you can get to any of these benchmarks, the more you'll collect from Social Security.

For example, you don't need to wait until age 70 to claim in order to see a boost in benefits. Waiting even a year or two past age 62 can still earn you substantially larger checks. The average retired worker collects around $269 per month more at age 65 compared to age 62, according to 2024 data from the Social Security Administration. At age 67, the average benefit is a whopping $588 per month higher than at 62.

Working longer or increasing your income slightly can also increase your monthly payments. Even if you can't work for 35 years or reach the maximum taxable earnings limit, getting as close as you can will still result in larger checks.

The maximum Social Security benefit can be life-changing, but it's also incredibly difficult to achieve. Whether or not you're on track for the highest possible payments, knowing what factors influence your benefit amount will make it easier to squeeze every penny out of Social Security.

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