How Much Social Security Will You Get If You Make $35,000 A Year?

The Social Security Administration has a system for calculating individual Social Security retirement benefits. The formula allows for an accurate conversion of lifetime earnings by breaking them into payable monthly amounts. A worker will see their earnings indexed and calculated in order to ascertain something known as their Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME). To calculate AIME, the SSA goes through a beneficiaries entire earnings record, selecting the 35 highest earning years and dividing the amount by total months or 420. However, gaps in work history can ultimately reduce this calculation by including zeros into those 35 years. After an individual's AIME has been determined, the beneficiaries' final amount is then determined through the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) formula, which is the sum of three separate percentages selected from your AIME.

 As of 2025, the PIA formula is the sum of three percentages: 90% of the first $1,226 of your AIME, 32% of earned amounts between $1,226 and $7,391, and 15% of anything above $7,391 (which is primarily for high-income earners). Based on this, you can calculate how much Social Security you will make, depending on your income. For instance, if you make $75,000 a year, or $35,000.

Note that the 2025 calculation scale only applies to those born in 1963. Those born on January 1st, 1963, or during any year before, will need to use a different formula. Now, Social Security benefits depend on number of factors including the length of your career, your retirement age, and inflation. Age 66 or 67 is seen as the full retirement age — depending on the year you were born – so a worker that consistently earned $35,000 a year for 35 years would have an AIME of approximately $2,916. 35 years of work, at $35,000, would total $1,225,000, which would then be divided by the 420 months comprising 35 years. Using the 2025 formula — 90% of the first $1,226 — would give you $1,103.40. Then, subtract that amount from your total AIME ($2,916 – $1,103) to get $1,690. From there, calculate 32% of $1,690, equaling $540.80. Add the two amounts together and your PIA would be $1,644.

However, if you retire at 62, it means you are claim your benefits several years early by SSA standards which could reduce your monthly benefits amount by 30%. Considering this 30% reduction, you might be surprised to learn the average Social Security benefits of 62-year-olds. For the sake of this calculation,  your PIA would instead be roughly $1,151. However, if you worked for only 30 years — and therefore have five "zero" years added to your calculation — your AIME would drop to $2,498 and your PIA would be recalculated at $1,510 per month.

Another option for retirees is to delay benefits until age 70. This can add another 8% to your benefits amount every year from your age of full retirement until age 70. This strategy maximizes lifetime benefits and is most helpful for those who expect to live until their 80s or beyond. Delayed benefits for a worker who earned $35,000 annually over the course of their career would be their $1,644 PIA amount multiplied by either 124% or 132% depending on the year you were born. This would mean a monthly benefit amount of $2,039 or $2,170.

Another strategy to increase your retirement income is to continue working while claiming Social Security. However, if your combined earnings go above $23,400, before you reach 67, the SSA will deduct $1 from your benefits for every $2 you earn above the threshold. Or, you may qualify for spousal benefits. If your spouse's PIA is higher than yours, you can claim up to 50% of their benefits amount at your full retirement age. Divorced individuals who were married at least 10 years can similarly lay claim on an ex-spouse's record without affecting their ex's benefits.

Also, if your spouse passes away, remember that you will continue to receive whatever the higher benefit amount was — whether that is your benefits amount or theirs. This can mean that delaying your own benefit will ensures a larger survivor payout for your partner.