Although Social Security is only one part of a secure retirement plan, it’s helpful to get a rough idea of how much you can expect. If you’re eligible for Social Security, your monthly benefit is based on two factors:

How much money you earned during your working careerThe age you choose to start getting payments

Let’s look at how each of these affects your future Social Security income.

Are You Eligible for Social Security?

To be eligible for Social Security benefits, you must earn at least 40 credits over your working career. How those credits are calculated is complex, but you will likely qualify if you have worked for at least 10 years. But your work history is not only used as part of the qualification criteria; it is also used to figure out the amount of your payment. In calculating your monthly retirement benefit, the SSA considers your highest-earning 35 years of work history. If you worked for less than 35 years, the SSA will use zero for some years. The higher your earnings over those 35 years, the greater your contribution to the program through FICA taxes, and the higher your benefit will be.

When Will You Collect?

The SSA calculates your benefit amount at your full retirement age (FRA). This depends on the year you were born. FRA by birth year is:

1943–1954: age 661955: age 66 and two months1956: age 66 and four months1957: age 66 and six months1958: age 66 and eight months1959: age 66 and 10 months1960 and later: age 67

You have the option to file for early retirement as early as age 62. But, you may choose to delay taking your benefits until as late as age 70. There are many reasons why you might choose to take early retirement or to delay it. That choice has a direct impact on the amount of your monthly payment. If you opt for early retirement, you are choosing a lower monthly payment for the rest of your life. By choosing to delay your benefit to any age between your FRA and age 70, you lock in an increase.

Example of Maximizing SSA Benefits

Let’s say that you were born in 1965. Your FRA is 67. If you retire in 2032, you will receive your full benefit. However, if you retire at age 62, in 2027, you will receive only 70% of that amount. For this example, suppose that you earn the average annual salary for U.S. workers, per the latest data from the SSA. That would put your wages at $53,383.18 per year. Using the SSA’s Quick Calculator, you’ll see that retiring at your FRA in 2032 would entitle you to $1,798 per month. However, retiring at 62 in 2027 would bring in $1,178 monthly. If you were to delay payments until age 70, you would receive $2,249 each month—nearly double the amount you would get at early retirement. Although your payment increases every year in retirement due to the yearly cost-of-living allowances, these increases are always based on the previous year’s amount. So once you take a reduced benefit, all of your future payments will be smaller.

How To Calculate Your Social Security Benefit

Calculating your estimated Social Security benefit is no easy task. Your best bet may be to request a Social Security benefits estimate (Form SSA-7004) from the SSA. This will contain an estimate of your benefit at age 62, at your FRA, and at age 70, based on your current work history. In addition to these estimates, the SSA also has a series of Social Security benefits calculators that can help you plan for retirement. You can also use this calculator from AARP to estimate the best age to start claiming your benefits.