Confused about Social Security earnings record - does it include Medicare taxes?

Thank you so much for clearing that up! I think I was confused because I have two W-2 jobs, and I didn't realize both employers report to Social Security separately. That explains why my earnings look higher than I expected for some years. I thought once I hit the annual limit across both jobs, it would stop counting, but I guess the reporting doesn't work that way?

wait what? i think i might have overpaid then! i had 2 jobs last year and made about $190k total. both places took out SS taxes on everything. how do i get that money back???

Yes, I'm looking at that section right now! That makes sense. So the earnings listed there are just what was subject to the 6.2% Social Security tax, not the additional 1.45% Medicare tax. No wonder I was confused.

If you ever need to reach Social Security again, I had a great experience using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me connected to an SSA agent in about 20 minutes when I was dealing with some earnings record discrepancies. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - saved me hours of hold time frustration. I was able to get my earnings record questions answered right away instead of waiting on hold all day.

Yes, railroad employees are covered under the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) system, which is separate from Social Security. Railroad workers pay Railroad Retirement taxes instead of Social Security taxes. Their earnings records are maintained by the RRB, not SSA. However, if your dad also had non-railroad jobs where he paid into Social Security, those earnings would be on his Social Security record. The two systems do coordinate benefits when someone has worked under both systems.

That's correct. Social Security benefits are calculated based only on earnings up to the annual taxable maximum. Earnings above that don't increase your future benefit. This is why Social Security has always been designed as a progressive system - it replaces a higher percentage of pre-retirement income for lower earners than for higher earners. The flip side is that you also don't pay Social Security tax on earnings above that limit. The current maximum monthly benefit for someone retiring at full retirement age in 2025 is approximately $3,875, regardless of how much they earned above the cap during their working years.

@Fiona Sand Great question about work gaps! Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings to calculate your benefit. If you have fewer than 35 years of work history, they ll'include zeros for the missing years, which brings down your average and reduces your benefit. However, if you work more than 35 years, the system automatically uses your 35 highest-earning years and drops the lowest ones including (any zeros .)So if you had a 5-year gap but worked 40 total years, those zero years wouldn t'hurt you at all. This is why some people choose to work a few extra years after their planned retirement - each additional high-earning year can potentially replace an earlier low-earning or zero-earning year in the calculation. You can see exactly how this affects your projected benefits by looking at your Social Security statement online!

@Rudy Cenizo Great questions! Regarding employer reporting, SSA typically receives earnings data automatically from employers through the W-2 process - employers are required to report wages to SSA by the end of February each year. However, errors do happen sometimes employers (go out of business, data entry mistakes, name mismatches, etc. ,)which is why it s'so important to check your earnings record annually. If you notice missing earnings, you ll'need documentation like old W-2s or pay stubs to request a correction. For unemployment periods, those won t'show up on your earnings record since unemployment benefits aren t'subject to Social Security taxes - only wages from employment count toward your future benefits calculation. I d'recommend creating that online account at ssa.gov that others have mentioned and reviewing your complete earnings history. It s'much easier to catch and correct errors sooner rather than later. You can also sign up to receive automatic annual statements electronically, which makes it easier to stay on top of any discrepancies. Welcome to the community, by the way!

@Michael Martinez This is a really concerning discrepancy that definitely needs to be resolved! Having zeros in the Social Security earnings column while showing earnings in the Medicare column for those years suggests there may be a serious reporting error that could affect your future benefits calculation. The fact that the SSA representative seemed confused and said she didn t'have the same form is troubling - you should be looking at the same data. Here are some steps I d'recommend: 1. Call back and speak to a different representative - the service you get can vary significantly between agents 2. Have your W-2s for those years ready when you call - Box 3 should match your SS earnings column, and Box 5 should match your Medicare column 3. If your W-2s show Social Security taxes were withheld Box (4 but) your SS earnings column shows zero, that s'definitely an error that needs correction 4. Consider using Claimyr mentioned (earlier in this thread to) get connected faster and avoid the hold time frustration 5. Request a formal review in writing if the phone calls don t'resolve it Don t'let this slide - those zero years could significantly impact your benefit calculation since SSA uses your highest 35 years of earnings. You deserve to get proper credit for all the Social Security taxes you paid! Keep us posted on how this gets resolved.

@Michael Martinez This is definitely a serious issue that needs to be resolved properly! As a newcomer who has learned so much from this discussion, I can see that having zeros in your Social Security earnings column while showing actual earnings in the Medicare column is a major red flag. Based on everything discussed in this thread, your W-2s for those years should show the breakdown clearly - Box 3 Social (Security wages should) match what appears in your SS earnings column, and Box 4 should show the Social Security taxes that were actually withheld. If those boxes show you paid Social Security taxes but your earnings record shows zero, that s'absolutely an error that could cost you thousands in future benefits. I d'recommend trying the Claimyr service that @Jason Brewer mentioned earlier - it might help you get connected to a more knowledgeable representative who can actually see the same information you re looking'at. The fact that the SSA rep said she didn t have'the same form as you is concerning and suggests you weren t getting'proper assistance. Don t let'them dismiss this! Those zero years could significantly impact your benefit calculation since SSA uses your highest 35 years of earnings. You deserve full credit for every Social Security tax dollar you paid. Please keep fighting for the correction and let us know how it goes - this community seems very supportive of helping people navigate these issues!