Social Security earnings limit when collecting at 62 but working at 65 - still under FRA

its the same earnings limit until u reach ur full retirement age doesnt matter if ur 62 or 65 or 66 same rules apply...

The previous commenter is correct. The earnings limit for 2025 is $22,320 if you're under full retirement age for the entire year. This applies whether you're 62, 63, 64, 65, or 66 - as long as you haven't reached your FRA (67 in your case). If you earn over that amount, Social Security will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit. The year you reach your FRA, the rules change and become more lenient, but that won't apply to you until 2027 when you turn 67. At that point, there will be no earnings limit and you can earn as much as you want without penalty.

I went through the exact same thing last year! The SS earnings limit is so confusing. I ended up waiting on hold for 3+ hours trying to get through to SSA to confirm the amount. If you need to speak with someone at Social Security directly, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have this service that gets you through to a live SSA agent without the horrible wait. Saved me a ton of time and frustration. I watched their video demo (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) before trying it, and it worked exactly as advertised. Much easier than spending half your day on hold!

be careful though! they count GROSS earnings not take-home pay! i learned that the hardway last year went over by like $300 and they took back waaaaay more than that

I'd like to add that while the current earnings limit is $22,320 for those under FRA, you should be aware of a few other important factors: 1. The earnings limit only applies to wages or self-employment income. It doesn't include investment income, pension payments, government benefits, or annuities. 2. If you do exceed the limit, SSA doesn't immediately reduce your monthly checks. They usually assess the overpayment the following year and may withhold benefits until the overpayment is recovered. 3. The good news is that when you reach your FRA, your benefit will be recalculated to credit you for months of benefits that were withheld due to excess earnings. So you do eventually get some of that money back in the form of a higher monthly benefit. 4. You might want to use SSA's Retirement Earnings Test Calculator on their website to estimate exactly how working will affect your benefits.

why did u take SS at 62?? big mistake!! i waited till 70 and get WAY more money every month 🤦‍♂️

One more thing to keep in mind - if you're working, make sure you keep track of all your earnings documentation throughout the year. If there's ever a question about whether you exceeded the limit, having your own records will be extremely helpful. I've seen cases where SSA and employers had different earnings amounts recorded, and it created quite a mess to sort out.

my cousin's wife started SS at 62 and then got a job that paid too much and they made her pay back like $5000!! careful!!

UPDATE: I just want to thank everyone for the helpful advice. I talked to my potential employer and negotiated a work schedule that will keep me under the $22,320 annual limit. I'll be tracking my earnings carefully, and I'm relieved to know the exact rules now. This community has been incredibly helpful!