What does it take to get the maximum Social Security benefit?
You need 35 years of earnings at or above the taxable maximum — the most Social Security taxes each year, $192,300 in 2027 — and you need to delay benefits to 70. Few people manage both, which is why the average retired worker gets $2,170 instead. (SSA: contribution and benefit base)
| Start benefits (January 2027) | Maximum monthly benefit |
|---|---|
| Age 62 | $3,094 |
| Age 65 | $3,666 |
| Age 66 | $3,883 |
| Age 67 (full retirement age) | $4,188 |
| Age 70 | $5,358 |
Each row is a different birth year — SSA's examples are for a worker reaching that age in 2027 (SSA: workers with maximum-taxable earnings). That's why the rows aren't a simple percentage of one another.
Maximum Social Security Benefit at 62: $3,094 in 2027
Someone turning 62 in 2027 who earned the maximum every year since 22 gets $3,094 a month by starting immediately. That's 70% of their full-retirement-age amount: born in 1965, their full retirement age is 67, so starting at 62 is 60 months early. Waiting to 70 would pay about 77% more each month.
The full-retirement-age maximum was $4,152 for people reaching it in 2026 and is $4,188 in 2027 — it rises with wages and the 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (SSA 2027 fact sheet).
Our take: don't chase the maximum, chase your own best number
By 60, the gap between your benefit and the maximum is mostly a record you can't change. The lever you still control is claiming age: 70 instead of 62 is roughly 77% more per month for anyone. See exactly why your number is what it is on the Social Security formula calculator, then compare Social Security at 62 with waiting on the break-even calculator.