Social Security

Use any of the calculators below to estimate your potential benefit amounts using different retirement dates and levels of future earnings. The calculators will show your retirement benefits as well as disability and survivor benefit amounts if you should become disabled or die.

1. Quick Calculator

   This calculator gives you a simple, rough estimate when you input your date of birth and this year's earnings. (You must be age 21 or older for this calculator to work correctly.)

   Note: The Quick Calculator does not include reduction for WEP.

2. Online Calculator

   Input your date of birth and your complete earnings history to get a benefit estimate. You may project your future earnings until your retirement date.

3. WEP Online Calculator

   If you are eligible for a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security, your benefit amount may be reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO).

   Use this version of the Online Calculator or download the Detailed Calculator to see the effect of WEP on your estimated benefits. (The Quick Calculator and the basic version of the Online Calculator cannot adjust for WEP.)

   Note: You can use our GPO Calculator to see the effect of GPO on potential spouse's, widow's or widower's benefits.

4. Detailed Calculator

   This calculator provides the most precise estimates. It must be downloaded and installed on your computer. (Includes reduction for WEP.)

   Note: There is also a Mac version of the Detailed Calculator.

Things You Should Know:

• None of these calculators are linked to your Social Security earnings record. They use the earnings amounts you enter.

  If you want to use your Social Security earnings record to calculate your retirement benefits, please use our Retirement Estimator.

• All four calculators assume you have enough credits to qualify for benefits. They produce an estimate even if you do not actually have enough credits.

• The calculator estimates will differ from those on your online Social Security Statement if you use different assumptions.

  Example: If you had earnings last year, your Social Security Statement retirement benefit estimate assumes you will have similar earnings for every future year until you turn 62.

  If you tell us you will stop working before the year you turn 62, the calculator estimates will not include earnings for the years after you stop working.

• You can download the Mac version of the Detailed Calculator from http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/anypia/download/Anypia.dmg.

If you need a benefit estimate on someone else's record, such as your spouse or parent, use our toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 (if you are deaf or hard of hearing, use our toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778) or contact your nearest Social Security office.

Your benefit amount can be affected by a number of different factors. If you already have a benefit estimate, you can use the charts and calculators listed below to find out how different retirement dates and situations affect your Social Security benefits. If you:

• are currently working and are eligible for retirement or survivors benefits this year, you can learn how your earnings may affect your benefit payments with our Earnings Limit Calculator.

• start benefits early, the amount may be reduced based on how long you will receive benefits before your full retirement age. If you want to find out how much applying for retirement benefits early reduces your monthly benefit as a wage earner or spouse, use our Retirement Age Calculator.

  Note: If you qualify, your full retirement age for survivors benefits may be different.

• will start receiving benefits after your full retirement age, your benefit may be higher due to delayed retirement credits.

• want some idea of how long your benefits may need to last, you can use our Life Expectancy Calculator to get a rough estimate of how long you (or your spouse) may live.

• are trying to decide whether to retire early and take a reduced benefit, wait until full retirement age or delay benefits until age 70 we can help you decide if the higher benefit is worth the wait.

• know the amount of your full retirement benefit (or your spouse's full retirement benefit), you can

  • compute the effect of early or delayed retirement on your benefit amount and

  • compute the effect of early retirement on benefits for your spouse.

• will receive a pension from a federal, state or local government job in which you did not pay Social Security taxes, it may reduce the amount of your Social Security benefit. Find out what having a government pension will do to your Social Security benefit if your benefit is based on:

  • Your work,
  • Your spouse's work.