Is Social Security Affecting Your Job? Find Out the Rules on Earning While Collecting Benefits in 2025

If you’re already collecting Social Security and thinking about picking up some extra work in 2025, you’re definitely not alone. With the cost of everything going up, a lot of people want to earn a little more money. But before you dive into a new job or pick up a side hustle, it’s important to know how it might affect your Social Security benefits.

Let’s take a look at the numbers and rules in plain English, so you can figure out exactly what’s possible without messing with your benefits.

How Much Can You Expect From Social Security in 2025?

The amount you’ll get from Social Security depends on a few things, like how much you earned during your working years and when you start collecting benefits. Here’s an idea of the maximum amount you could see in 2025, assuming you had a solid income over the years:

• If you start at age 70 — up to $5,108 per month

• If you start at full retirement age (around 66 or 67, depending on your birth year) — up to $4,018 per month

• If you start at 62 (the earliest you can start) — up to $2,831 per month

Of course, not everyone will get the maximum amount. But these numbers give you an idea of what’s possible if you’ve worked hard and earned a decent salary over your career.

What Happens if You Keep Working While Getting Social Security?

A lot of people wonder if they can still work and collect Social Security benefits. The good news is yes, you can! But there are some rules around how much you can earn before it starts affecting your benefits — especially if you’re not yet at full retirement age.

Let’s break it down.

If You’re Under Full Retirement Age (For the Whole Year)

• You can earn up to $23,400 for the year (about $1,950 per month) without it affecting your benefits.

• If you go over that limit, Social Security will reduce your benefits by $1 for every $2 you earn over the cap.

So, for example, if you earn $30,000 in a part-time job, which is $6,600 over the limit, Social Security will cut your benefits by $3,300 for the year.

If You Reach Full Retirement Age in 2025

Once you get closer to full retirement age, the rules start to loosen up a little:

• You can earn up to $62,160 for the year before they start reducing your benefits.

• This only applies to earnings you make before the month you hit full retirement age.

If you make more than that, they’ll reduce your benefits by $1 for every $3 you earn over the limit. But once you reach full retirement age, you’re off the hook. You can earn whatever you want without it affecting your benefits.

Once You Hit Full Retirement Age

Here’s the good news: once you hit full retirement age, there are no more limits on how much you can earn. From that point on, you can work as much as you want and your Social Security benefits won’t change at all. You’ve earned it, so go ahead and enjoy it!

What If You Retire Mid-Year?

There’s a special rule if you retire halfway through the year. Even if you’ve already earned more than the annual limit, Social Security will only look at your monthly earnings rather than the yearly total.

So, if you earn $1,950 or less in any given month, they’ll count that as a “retired” month, and you’ll get your full benefits for that month.

This rule can be really helpful if you plan to slow down later in the year and don’t want to lose out on your benefits.

You can absolutely work while collecting Social Security, but you do need to be mindful of how much you’re earning. If you make too much, your benefits will be reduced, but the good news is, once you hit full retirement age, there are no more limits.

And if you lose some of your benefits earlier on because of earning too much, don’t worry — Social Security will recalculate things once you reach full retirement age and may make up for what you lost.

If you’re not sure how the rules apply to you, it’s a great idea to talk to a financial advisor or give the Social Security Administration a call. They can walk you through your options and help make sure you’re getting the most out of your benefits.