Social Security wage base by year
The maximum earnings subject to Social Security tax, every year from 2015 to 2026.
+56%
the rise in the wage base over 11 years, from $118,500 in 2015 to $184,500 in 2026
Where this comes from: SSA, 2026 COLA fact sheet (wage base set under 42 U.S.C. §430), checked 2026-08-01 · Social Security Act §230 (42 U.S.C. §430); incorporated by IRC §3121(a)(1) for wages and IRC §1402(b) for self-employment income.
#the-riseWhat these figures assume
- The wage base is the maximum earnings taxed for Social Security in a year. Earnings above it pay no Social Security tax, though Medicare continues with no cap.
- It is set by the Social Security Administration, not the IRS, under 42 U.S.C. 430, from the national average wage index, and rounded to a multiple of $300.
- It applies to each employer separately. Two jobs can mean paying past the base, and the excess is refundable on your return.
- The 6.2% employee rate and 6.2% employer rate are statutory and have not changed with these figures.
Every year, 2026 back to 2015
| Year | Wage base | Change on the year | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $184,500 | +4.8% | # |
| 2025 | $176,100 | +4.4% | # |
| 2024 | $168,600 | +5.2% | # |
| 2023 | $160,200 | +9.0% | # |
| 2022 | $147,000 | +2.9% | # |
| 2021 | $142,800 | +3.7% | # |
| 2020 | $137,700 | +3.6% | # |
| 2019 | $132,900 | +3.5% | # |
| 2018 | $128,400 | +0.9% | # |
| 2017 | $127,200 | +7.3% | # |
| 2016 | $118,500 | +0.0% | # |
| 2015 | $118,500 | n/a | # |
Where this comes from: SSA, 2026 COLA fact sheet (wage base set under 42 U.S.C. §430), checked 2026-08-01 · Social Security Act §230 (42 U.S.C. §430); incorporated by IRC §3121(a)(1) for wages and IRC §1402(b) for self-employment income.
Two years that are not what they look like
2016. No cost-of-living increase applied, so the base remained at the 2015 figure. The only year in this series with no change.
2018. Announced as $128,700 in October 2017 and REVISED DOWN to $128,400 that December after corrected W-2 data. The revised figure is the one that applied. A series built from the October notices alone gets this year wrong.
How to cite this
SSA Easy Guide, Social Security wage base by year, 2026. https://ssaeasyguide.com/stats/social-security-wage-base-history
Free to use with credit and a link. If you need the underlying numbers rather than this page, every figure here comes from a file you can download.
Where this comes from
Every figure is from SSA, Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations, annual notices in the Federal Register (base set under 42 U.S.C. 430), read on 2026-08-04. The wage base is an SSA figure rather than an IRS one, which is a distinction most write-ups get wrong, and the Internal Revenue Code incorporates it by reference at 3121(a)(1) for FICA wages and 1402(b) for self-employment earnings.
What it means for a benefit is on the claiming guide; what it means for a paycheck is at Paycheck Easy Guide.