Social Security earnings limit question - does SS benefit count toward $22,300 annual limit?

Only your wages from work count toward the $22,300 annual earnings limit. Your Social Security benefits are not counted as earnings for this purpose. The earnings limit only applies to money you earn from working, like W-2 wages or self-employment income. Your monthly Social Security checks don't count against this limit at all.

no ur SS money doesnt count towards earnings limit, just reg work money. i went thru this last yr, only W2 money counts

Be careful!! I thought the same thing but ended up owing money back! The SSA counts GROSS earnings not NET and they don't tell you this!! So if you make $22,400 gross but only take home $19,000 after taxes you're STILL OVER THE LIMIT!! This happened to me and I had to pay back benefits, it was HORRIBLE! And they take money out $1 for every $2 you go over so be super careful!!!

I went through this last year! No, your SS payments definitely don't count toward the limit. Just what you earn at your job. But remember that it's $1 reduction for every $2 you earn above the limit. So if you go over by $1000, they only reduce your annual benefits by $500. It's not like you lose everything. My brother thought that and almost quit his job unnecessarily!

The earnings limit only applies to money you earn from working. Your Social Security benefits are NOT counted. What does count: wages, bonuses, commissions, vacation pay, and net earnings from self-employment. What doesn't count: pensions, investment income, interest, veterans or other government benefits, and of course your Social Security benefits. Also note that in the year you first retire, SSA uses a monthly earnings test rather than annual, which can be helpful if you retire mid-year. You can earn more than a proportional amount of the annual limit in the months before you start benefits.

When I tried to call Social Security to ask a question like this, I kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold for over an hour! It was so frustrating. Then my neighbor told me about this service called Claimyr that gets you through to a real person at Social Security. I checked out their video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and decided to try it. They called SSA, waited on hold for me, and then called me when they had an agent on the line. Saved me hours of frustration! The agent confirmed that SS benefits don't count toward the earnings limit, just your work income.

My mom just went through this! Let me tell u what happened to her - she's 63 and started SS in January but still works at Walmart. The only money that counted toward her limit was her Walmart paychecks. Her SS checks didn't count at all toward the $22,300 limit.

I'm still confused about this whole thing. If I earn too much, do they take back ALL my benefits or just some of them??? I'm starting SS next year but I'm worried about this limit thing. I keep hearing different things!

my sister had this same ? last yr. its just ur work $ that counts, not SS $. btw dont forget they look at GROSS pay not takehome

Thanks everyone for the great info! So it sounds like the consensus is that my Social Security benefits don't count toward the earnings limit, just my work income (and gross, not net). That's exactly what I needed to know. I'll be careful to stay under the $22,300 limit with my part-time job. I appreciate all your help!

I'm new here but this is such helpful information! I'm turning 62 next month and was considering taking early retirement benefits while continuing to work part-time. Reading through all these responses really clarifies that my Social Security payments won't count against the earnings limit - only my work income will. I had been worried I'd have to choose between working and getting benefits, but now I see I can do both as long as I stay under the $22,300 gross earnings limit. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences!

Great question and congratulations on getting approved! Just to reinforce what others have said - your Social Security benefits absolutely do NOT count toward the $22,300 earnings limit. Only earned income from employment counts (wages, self-employment income, etc.). One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned much is to keep good records of your earnings throughout the year. I recommend setting up a simple spreadsheet or even just writing down your gross pay from each paycheck so you can track where you stand relative to that $22,300 limit. It's easy to lose track, especially if your hours vary from week to week in part-time work. Also, remember that the limit is based on the calendar year, not when you start receiving benefits. So even though you're starting benefits in November, the $22,300 limit applies to your total earnings for all of 2025. Best of luck with your part-time work and enjoy those Social Security checks!