In 2025, the maximum monthly Social Security benefit is $5,108 per month. It’s not 100% clear exactly how large the maximum monthly benefit will be in 2026, but based on current estimates of benefit increases, it could be somewhere around $5,245.97.

That’s a huge benefit amount to collect each month. So, how can you earn the maximum benefit in 2026? Here’s what you would need to do.

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A big income is needed to max out your 2026 benefit

If you want to work toward earning the maximum Social Security benefit in 2026, the first thing that you need to do is to earn a pretty large salary.

Social Security benefits are based on average wages in the 35 years you earn the most. There is a cap on the amount of wages that count in this benefits formula, though. Specifically, income up to the “wage base limit” is subject to Social Security tax and is counted in the benefits formula, and income above that threshold is not.

If you want the maximum benefit, you need a 35-year career history of earning an income equal to or above the wage base limit. In 2025, that limit was $176,100. It’s likely to increase to $183,600 in 2026 as the amount goes up most years due to the effects of inflation.

You’ll need to make sure your salary is equal to or above these numbers to be on track to get the maximum benefit.

You’ll need to put off your Social Security claim

There’s also another thing you’ll have to do if you want the maximum possible Social Security benefit to supplement the savings in your retirement plans. Specifically, you are going to need to make plans to wait until you are 70 to claim your Social Security benefits.

Waiting until 70 means waiting until after your full retirement age, and means waiting a full eight years to claim benefits after first becoming eligible for them at 62. You have to wait this long because earning the wage base limit or higher for 35 years only puts you on track for the highest possible standard Social Security benefit.

You’ll have to raise that standard benefit as much as possible by maxing out your delayed retirement credits if you want the overall maximum benefit. These delayed retirement credits increase your standard Social Security checks until age 70, when you can’t earn any more credits.

If you follow these two steps, then you will be on track for the maximum monthly Social Security benefit in 2026. You’ll have a good amount of extra money coming from Social Security to add to the distributions from your 401(k) and build the secure retirement you deserve.

Unfortunately, many people don’t do either of these things, much less both of them. Earning the maximum benefit is really hard, as you have to be among the country’s top earners for a long time and not need your retirement benefits until pretty late in life.

If you can’t do this, you’ll need to be realistic about what Social Security benefits you’ll get when you do your retirement planning. The reality is that Social Security replaces only around 40% of pre-retirement income, and the rest needs to come from accounts like your 401(k) and IRA. So, while you can work toward maxing out your benefit, also be sure you are saving plenty of money in case you fall short.