You’ll often hear that it’s not really possible to retire on Social Security alone — at least not without making major lifestyle adjustments. But if your monthly benefits are generous enough, you may find that you can make ends meet on those paychecks without other income.
Meanwhile, some Social Security recipients are getting a massive monthly benefit in 2025. If you play your cards right, you can set yourself up with more money from Social Security in retirement, too.
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The maximum Social Security benefit may surprise you
In 2025, the largest possible monthly Social Security benefit you can collect is $5,108. However, most seniors on Social Security get a benefit that’s much smaller, and there’s a reason for that.
To qualify for Social Security’s maximum monthly benefit, you need to be a very high earner throughout your career — specifically, earn enough during your 35 highest-paid years of income to meet or exceed the wage cap for Social Security taxes. That wage cap changes over time but is currently $176,100.
Snagging Social Security’s maximum monthly benefit also means having to wait until age 70 to file. If you were born in 1960 or later, you’re entitled to your monthly Social Security benefit without a reduction at age 67, otherwise known as your full retirement age. But if you’re willing to sit tight, you can walk away with more money each month for the rest of your life.
Steps to boost your Social Security benefit
Waiting until age 70 to claim Social Security is a great way to set yourself up with a larger monthly paycheck. For each year your filing is delayed past full retirement age, your benefit grows 8%.
But that’s not the only thing you can do to pave the way to a larger Social Security check. You can also work on boosting your wages.
Now you may be thinking, “Sure, I’ll just march into my manager’s office and demand a raise.” While you could try doing that, it may not work.
A more effective way to boost your wages is probably to identify job skills you’re missing to advance in your line of work, and then build them so you can further your career. You can also consistently research salary data in your industry to make sure your earnings are up to par.
You should also know that gig work counts toward your future Social Security benefits, provided you report and pay taxes on those wages (which you’re required to do anyway). So if you’ve been toying with the idea of getting a side hustle, recognize that not only might it help your financial situation in the near term, it might also set you up with more retirement income down the line.
Finally, make sure the Social Security Administration (SSA) has accurate wage data on record for you. The easiest way to do this is to create an account on its website and check your earnings statement each year. That earnings statement will include a summary of your wages, and it will also provide an estimate of your future Social Security benefit so you know what to look for.
Although some Social Security recipients get to walk away with $5,108 per month this year, that’s far from the norm. But if you approach things strategically, you may be surprised — in a good way — by how much money Social Security pays you in retirement.
