Social Security 2025: What Goes Into Determining Your Monthly Payment and How to Maximize It
We’ll explain below. How much money do I need to make to get the maximum benefit? The SSA takes your highest 35 working years of earnings and your age when you begin collecting benefits. To receive the highest Social Security benefits, you’ll have to earn at least themaximum taxable amountannually. For 2025, that’s $176,100. In 2015, the amount was $118,500. Any earnings made over the maximum amount isn’t taxed and won’t count toward your total earnings....