Working after Full Retirement Age: Is there an earnings limit on Social Security benefits?

Good news! Once you reach your Full Retirement Age, there is NO limit on how much you can earn while receiving Social Security retirement benefits. You can make $22,000 or $222,000 - it doesn't matter. The earnings limit only applies BEFORE you reach FRA. Before FRA in 2025, you can earn up to $22,320 without penalty. Beyond that amount, SSA withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn over the limit. But again, this doesn't apply once you hit your FRA. You're free to work as much or as little as you want without affecting your SS benefits. Just be aware that depending on your total income, a portion of your benefits might be subject to federal income tax, but that's a separate issue from the earnings limit.

There ABSOLUTELY IS an earnings limit!!! My brother-in-law got his benefits CUT because he was working too much after his retirement age. The government doesn't tell you this stuff up front but they'll sure take your money later!!! Be VERY careful and keep your earnings LOW or they'll penalize you!!!!

My wife and I are both past FRA (I'm 68, she's 67) and we both still work part-time. We make about $35k combined annually on top of our SS benefits, and our benefit amounts have never been reduced. The person above is right - there is NO earnings limit once you reach your Full Retirement Age.

i was so confused about this too!! took me forever to get a straight answer from ssa. tried calling them like 5 times and kept getting disconnected after waiting for ages. so frustrating! but yeah once ur at fra u can work as much as u want

Just to clarify something important - while there's no earnings limit after FRA as others mentioned, your Social Security benefits can still be TAXED if your combined income is high enough. Up to 85% of your SS benefits may be taxable if your combined income (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of SS benefits) exceeds $34,000 for individuals or $44,000 for married filing jointly. This isn't a reduction in benefits, just regular income tax.

FYI I just turned 70 last month and NOW I'm finally officially retiring from my part-time job lol. Worked the whole time from 67-70 while collecting SS, no problems at all. It was actually nice because I had income from both sources and was able to really build up my emergency savings.

my aunt thought the same thing and was only working like 10 hrs a week because she was scared of losing her ss money! when i told her there was no limit she was so mad shed been turning down extra shifts for like a year lol

Thank you all for the helpful responses! This forum has given me more useful information than weeks of researching online. Just to summarize what I've learned: 1) After FRA, there is NO earnings limit that would reduce my Social Security benefits 2) I can work part-time or even full-time if I want without penalty 3) Depending on my total income, a portion of my SS benefits may be subject to federal income tax (up to 85%) I feel much more confident now about my retirement plan. I'll continue working part-time after claiming at FRA, which will give me a nice combination of earned income plus my full Social Security benefit.

That's a great summary! I'm glad this community could help clear things up for you. One small additional tip - since you mentioned you're planning to claim at FRA, make sure to apply about 3 months before you want your benefits to start. SSA recommends this timing to avoid any delays in processing. Also, if you haven't already, you might want to create a my Social Security account online to track your estimated benefits and get official documentation. Good luck with your retirement transition!

I'm so glad you found this helpful! As someone who went through this exact situation about 2 years ago, I can confirm everything that's been shared here. I was also nervous about the earnings limit but once I hit my FRA (which was 66 and 8 months for my birth year), I was able to work without any worries. One thing I'd add is that even though there's no earnings limit after FRA, your Medicare premiums might be affected if your income gets really high - but at $22k annually from part-time work, you shouldn't have to worry about that. The Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) only kicks in at much higher income levels. Enjoy your retirement flexibility!

As someone who's been collecting Social Security for 3 years now (I'm 70), I can absolutely confirm what everyone is saying here. Once you hit your Full Retirement Age, you can earn as much as you want without any reduction to your Social Security benefits. I actually increased my part-time work after FRA because I knew there wouldn't be any penalties! The key thing to remember is that this freedom only applies AFTER you reach FRA - not before. I see so many people get confused about this timing. Your plan to work part-time while collecting your full $2,800 monthly benefit sounds perfect. Just make sure you understand the tax implications that others mentioned, but from a Social Security benefit reduction standpoint, you're completely in the clear. Congratulations on reaching this milestone!

I'm in a very similar situation - turning FRA next year and have been stressing about this exact question! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. It's amazing how much conflicting information is out there about Social Security rules. I've been limiting my work hours thinking I'd need to after claiming benefits, but now I understand that's only necessary BEFORE reaching FRA. The distinction between benefit reductions (which don't happen after FRA) and potential taxation of benefits (which is separate) is really important. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it makes such a difference to hear from people who've actually been through this rather than trying to decipher government websites and pamphlets!

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm 64 and was planning to wait until my FRA (67) to claim benefits, but I've been worried about whether I could keep my consulting work afterward. Reading everyone's experiences has really put my mind at ease. It sounds like the key is understanding that magic FRA date - before it, there are earnings limits that can reduce benefits, but after it, you're completely free to earn whatever you want without any Social Security benefit reductions. The only consideration is potential taxation of benefits at higher combined income levels, which is totally separate from benefit reductions. I love hearing from people like James who actually increased their work after FRA - that flexibility sounds amazing! Thanks to everyone for sharing your real-world experiences. This kind of practical advice from people who've actually navigated these waters is so much more valuable than trying to decode government publications.

I just want to echo what everyone else has said - there is absolutely NO earnings limit once you reach your Full Retirement Age! I'm 69 and have been collecting Social Security for 2 years while working part-time as a bookkeeper. I make about $18,000 annually and receive my full monthly benefit without any reductions. Before my FRA, I was so careful about the earnings limit (had to keep under that $22,320 threshold), but the day I hit FRA, all those restrictions disappeared. It's such a relief to not have to track every dollar earned! Your plan to make $22,000 from part-time work while collecting your $2,800 monthly benefit is perfect - you'll get the best of both worlds. Just remember what others mentioned about potential taxation of benefits if your combined income gets high enough, but that's completely separate from benefit reductions. The freedom to work as much or as little as you want after FRA is one of the best parts of reaching that milestone!

I'm new to this community and found this thread while researching my own situation. I'm 65 and will hit my FRA in about 8 months. I've been worried sick about this exact issue because I really want to keep my part-time teaching job at the local community college after I start collecting Social Security. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring! It's amazing how consistent everyone's stories are - no earnings limit after FRA, period. I especially appreciate hearing from people like James, Ravi, and Fatima who have been successfully working while collecting benefits for years. The distinction between benefit reductions (which don't happen after FRA) and taxation of benefits (which is separate) really clarifies things. I've been limiting my teaching hours unnecessarily because I was confused about the rules. Can't wait to have that freedom to work as much as I want without constantly calculating earnings limits! Thank you all for sharing your real experiences - this community is a goldmine of practical advice.

Welcome to everyone who's new to this discussion! As someone who just went through this transition myself (hit my FRA of 66 and 6 months last year), I wanted to add my voice to confirm what everyone else is saying. The relief of not having to worry about earnings limits after FRA is incredible! I was so paranoid about going over the limit before my FRA that I actually turned down some freelance projects. Now I wish I had found this community earlier - it would have saved me months of unnecessary stress and research. For anyone still feeling uncertain, I'd recommend checking the official SSA website or calling them directly, but based on my personal experience and everyone else's here, you really can work as much as you want after FRA without any reduction to your Social Security benefits. The consistent experiences shared here from people across different ages and work situations really speaks volumes. Thanks to this community for being such a valuable resource!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm 63 and approaching my FRA in about 18 months, and I've been absolutely confused about the earnings rules. Like so many others here, I've been finding conflicting information everywhere I looked. Reading through everyone's real experiences has finally given me the clarity I needed. The key takeaway that keeps coming through loud and clear is: NO earnings limit after Full Retirement Age - you can work as much as you want without any reduction to your Social Security benefits. It's amazing how many people (myself included) have been unnecessarily limiting their work hours out of fear! I especially appreciate hearing from members like James, Ravi, Fatima, and others who have been successfully working while collecting benefits for years. Your stories give me confidence that I can continue my consulting work after claiming without constantly worrying about benefit reductions. The distinction between benefit reductions (which don't happen after FRA) versus potential taxation of benefits (which is separate) is so important and something I hadn't fully understood before. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative community - this thread alone has saved me months of stress and research!

As someone who recently joined this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive discussion! I'm 65 and will be hitting my FRA (66 and 8 months) next year, and I've been agonizing over whether to keep my part-time retail job after claiming benefits. Reading through everyone's consistent experiences has been such a relief - it's clear that once you reach FRA, there truly is NO earnings limit that affects your Social Security benefits. I've been unnecessarily limiting my hours because I was terrified of accidentally triggering some penalty. What really stands out to me is how many people here have shared similar stories of being overly cautious before understanding the rules. The distinction between pre-FRA earnings limits (which are real) and post-FRA freedom (which is absolute) is so important. I also appreciate everyone clarifying that potential taxation of benefits is completely separate from benefit reductions. Thank you to all the members who've been generous enough to share your real-world experiences - especially those who've been successfully working while collecting benefits for years. This community has provided more clarity than months of trying to navigate government websites! Looking forward to having that flexibility to work as much or as little as I want without constantly calculating earnings thresholds.

I'm so grateful I found this discussion! I'm 66 and just reached my FRA last month, but I've been hesitant to apply for Social Security because I wasn't sure about the earnings rules. I work as a freelance graphic designer and my income can be pretty variable - some months I might make $1,000, other months $4,000 or more depending on projects. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring! It sounds like I can finally stop worrying about tracking every dollar I earn and just focus on building my business. The consistency in all your stories - from people who've been successfully working while collecting benefits for years - really gives me confidence. I especially appreciate how everyone clarified that benefit reductions and taxation are two completely different things. I think I was confusing the two and making this much more complicated than it needs to be. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences - this community is amazing! I'm going to start my Social Security application this week.