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SteadyRetire Calculator

Social Security Benefit Calculator

Estimate a monthly retirement benefit using a 35-year earnings average or total, then see how claiming age, full retirement age, COLA assumptions, AIME, and PIA may affect the result.

Claiming age AIME & PIA Educational estimate
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Interactive estimate

Social Security Benefit Calculator

Estimate a monthly retirement benefit from a 35-year earnings average or total. This tool shows the Average Indexed Monthly Earnings, Primary Insurance Amount, claiming-age adjustment, COLA impact, and estimated monthly check.

Your inputs

Use official indexed earnings when available for the closest estimate.

Used to estimate full retirement age and pre/post-1962 grouping.
Use whole years and months. Benefits are adjusted monthly between 62 and 70.
Fewer than 35 years adds zeros to the calculation.
2026
Automatically based on birth year. Social Security uses the bend points from the year a worker turns 62.
Default uses the 2026 COLA of 2.8%.
Use this to estimate future payment increases after the PIA and claiming-age adjustment. For example, 3 years at 2.8% compounds the benefit for three annual COLAs.
Important estimate note

This calculator does not index each individual earnings year. It assumes the user enters either an already-indexed 35-year total or an estimated indexed annual average.

Estimated monthly benefit
$0

About $0 per year after claiming-age adjustment and COLA assumption.

$
AIME$0.00Average Indexed Monthly Earnings
PIA at full retirement age$0.00Bend points: $0 / $0
Claiming adjustment0.0%No claiming adjustment
COLA multiplier1.000x2.8% for 1 year(s)

How the estimate is calculated

1. Top earnings entered

$0
2. AIME

Total indexed earnings divided by 420 months.

$0.00
3. PIA formula

$0.00
4. Claiming-age amount

$0.00
5. COLA-adjusted estimate

Applies the selected annual COLA assumption after the claiming-age adjustment.

$0.00

Plain-English result

Understand the numbers

How to read your Social Security benefit estimate

Your estimated benefit starts with average indexed monthly earnings (AIME), passes through the Social Security benefit formula, and is then adjusted for claiming age and the COLA assumption you enter.

How the calculation works

The tool divides your entered total indexed earnings across the top 35 years by 420 months to estimate AIME. It then applies the bend-point formula to estimate the primary insurance amount before claiming-age and COLA adjustments.

A simple example

If your top 35 years total $2,100,000 in already-indexed earnings, estimated AIME is $2,100,000 ÷ 420 = $5,000 per month. The benefit is calculated from that AIME using the applicable bend points; it is not simply $5,000.

What to keep in mind

This tool does not index each earnings year for you. Enter an already-indexed total or a reasonable indexed average. Actual SSA records, rounding, future earnings, claiming date, and COLAs can change your benefit; compare with your Social Security statement.

Want the fuller explanation?

Read the guide: How is Social Security calculated? The 35-year rule & beyond →