Social Security earnings record showing zero income for 2024 - normal delay or reporting issue?
I just checked my Social Security earnings record online and noticed my 2024 earnings are showing up as $0. This is definitely wrong since I worked full-time at the same company all year and earned around $73,000. I've never had this issue before - my previous years all show correct amounts. Is this just because it's only February 2025 and the system hasn't updated yet? Or should I be worried something went wrong with my employer's W-2 reporting? I don't want to discover years from now that I'm missing a year of credits toward my retirement benefit calculation. Has anyone else noticed this with their 2024 earnings?
14 comments
Join the conversation
Elliott luviBorBatman
This is completely normal. Your 2024 earnings won't show up in the SSA system until around mid-March to April 2025. Employers had until January 31st to submit W-2s, then the IRS processes that information and forwards it to Social Security. There's always a lag of 2-3 months into the new year before the previous year's earnings appear in your Social Security record. Just check back in April and they should be there!
0 coins
Rosie Harper
•Thank you! That's a relief. I'll check back in April then. Do you know if there's anything I should do if they still don't show up by then?
0 coins
Demi Hall
its normal dont worry happens every year!! mine always shows zeros until like april or may lol
0 coins
Mateusius Townsend
I had the EXACT same panic last year! Checked in February and freaked out when I saw zeros for the previous year. Called SSA and waited on hold for TWO HOURS just to be told it's normal. Such a waste of time...wish they'd put a notice on the website explaining this!! Social Security's communication is just TERRIBLE.
0 coins
Rosie Harper
•Ugh, that sounds frustrating! I'm glad I asked here before trying to call them. Two hours on hold sounds awful.
0 coins
Kara Yoshida
•If you ever need to call Social Security again, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. I used them last month when I had an issue with my name change not being processed correctly. Got connected to an agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. Their website is claimyr.com and you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Definitely worth it for complicated issues that can't be resolved online.
0 coins
Philip Cowan
Actually, I would double-check that your employer has your correct Social Security number on file. My cousin had this happen where his earnings weren't showing up, and it turned out his employer had transposed two digits in his SSN. Just something to consider if your earnings don't appear by April.
0 coins
Rosie Harper
•That's a good point. I've been with the same company for 5 years and previous years show correctly, but I'll definitely verify if April comes and nothing appears. Thanks for the tip!
0 coins
Caesar Grant
While it is normal for the earnings to take a few months to show up, I want to add something important: If your 2024 earnings don't appear by May, you should definitely follow up. The Social Security Administration gives employers and self-employed individuals until April 15 to report earnings. After processing time, records are usually updated by early May. If you see that your earnings aren't posted by then, contact your employer first to confirm they reported correctly. If they did, then contact SSA directly. You have 3 years, 3 months, and 15 days after the year ends to correct any earnings records, but it's always better to address these issues promptly. Also, it's good practice to check your earnings record at least once a year to ensure everything is accurate. Your future benefit calculation depends on your lifetime earnings record being correct!
0 coins
Rosie Harper
•Thank you for the detailed information! I'll make a note to check again in May and follow your advice if the earnings still don't show up. I didn't realize there was a specific time limit for corrections - that's really good to know. I'll definitely make checking my record an annual habit from now on.
0 coins
Lena Schultz
its a conspiracy they dont want us to get our benefits thats why they hide our earnings
0 coins
Caesar Grant
•This is simply untrue. There's a processing delay because millions of W-2s need to be received, verified, and entered into the system. The SSA has a well-established process for handling earnings reports that has nothing to do with trying to deny benefits.
0 coins
Demi Hall
by the way my brother had this happen last year and his still didnt show up in april so he had to call them. turns out his employer messed up his ssn on the forms! check with your hr department first if u still dont see it in april
0 coins
Rosie Harper
•Thanks for sharing that - definitely a good reminder to follow up if things don't update properly!
0 coins