The Social Security Administration (SSA) has published the maximum benefit that a worker who retires at full retirement age can receive in 2027: $4,188 a month, compared with $4,152 in 2026.
Very few retirees reach this amount. While the average retirement check will be about $2,170 in 2027, the maximum is reserved for those who have earned very high wages for most of their working lives.
Why the maximum only grows by $36
Many retirees will be surprised that the maximum rises by less than 1%, while the COLA is 3.6%. The reason is that this figure refers to a new retiree who reaches full retirement age in 2027. In 2027, the people who reach it are those born in 1960, and their benefit is calculated with the formula and earnings of that year. Retirees who are already collecting the maximum will see their own check rise by the full 3.6%.
Requirements to receive the maximum
- 35 years of high earnings | the SSA calculates the benefit with the 35 best-paid years. To get the maximum, the worker must have earned at or above the taxable maximum in each of them.
- Taxable maximum | $184,500 in 2026 and $192,300 in 2027.
- Age | claiming at full retirement age, 67 for those born in 1960 or later.
- Credits | at least 40 work credits, the basic requirement to retire.
Retiring earlier or later changes the amount
Those who claim before full retirement age receive a reduced maximum. In 2026, the maximum at 62 was $2,969 a month, as we explained in our article on retiring at 62. Waiting until 70 increases the benefit by 8% for each year after full retirement age, so the highest possible checks are paid to those who wait until that age.
The decision of when to retire is one of the most important. We analyzed it in detail in our guide to claiming at 62, 67 or 70.
For the vast majority of workers, the key requirement is still the 40 credits. In 2027, each credit will require $1,970 in earnings, and retirees who keep working before full retirement age must also watch the earnings limit of $25,560.
