For most retirees, Social Security is a modest monthly check. The average retired worker receives about $2,076 per month, according to USA Today (1), meaning a typical married couple earns about $4,152 together.
It’s a comfortable addition to retirement savings, but it’s nowhere near the ceiling.
That limit, in 2026, will be $10,362 (2) a month for a married couple: more than $124,000 a year in guaranteed income adjusted for inflation. This represents what two spouses can collect when both qualify for the maximum individual benefit (2) of $5,181 per month, as reported by the Social Security Administration (SSA) for workers who retire at age 70 in 2026.
The gap between $4,152 and $10,362 comes down to two variables: professional income and when to claim. Both are decisions that most people make without fully understanding the math, and by the time they do, the window to change course has often closed.
Qualifying for the maximum benefit is really rare. To get there, you need at least 35 years (1) of income at or above the Social Security taxable wage base ($184,500 in 2026, according to the IRS (3)) and you must wait until age 70 (1) to file.
Each condition alone is rare. According to the SSA (4), of the 183 million workers with jobs covered by Social Security in 2023, about 6% had income that equaled or exceeded the taxable maximum. And only about 10% of workers (5) wait until age 70 to claim Social Security benefits, according to research cited by CNBC.
For a couple to earn $10,362 a month, both spouses would have to overcome both barriers: maintaining top-tier income for 35 years and each waiting until age 70. That combination is extraordinarily rare.
The SSA FAQ (2) sets out what the maximum looks like depending on when you make the claim:
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Retire at age 62 (earliest eligibility): $2,969/month
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Full retirement age (6) (67 for those born in 1960 or later): up to $4,152/month
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Age 70 (maximum with delayed credits): up to $5,181/month
“You can see there’s a huge difference,” Michael Greenwald, director of tax services at Berkowitz Pollack Brant, tells (7) US News.
That differential is a product of delayed retirement credits: according to the SSA (8), workers born in 1943 or later receive an 8% annual increase for each year they wait after full retirement age, up to age 70. In contrast, claiming at age 62 ensures a permanent reduction of approximately 30% (6).
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Time matters, but earnings history is the deepest limitation. Social Security calculates benefits using your 35 years of highest earnings, adjusted for inflation. Years without income count as zeros, which reduces your average and your eventual check.
“You have to pay into Social Security to get the maximum amount,” Brian Remson, advanced planning advisor at Credent Wealth Management, tells (7) US News. “You need to maximize the years you spend above that salary base.”
The bright side: If you’re still working and have a few lean years under your belt, additional income can replace them. “If you only have 35 years of work experience and you continue to work and replace the lower-earning years, it’s certainly worth doing,” advises Greenwald (7).
Of course, not all couples have two high-income earners. But there is still a significant strategy available through spousal benefits.
According to AARP (9), married couples can each receive their own individual benefit based on their own earnings history, and those payments generally do not reduce each other (although one spouse may receive the greater of his or her own benefit or a spousal benefit, not both in full).
For a household where one spouse has a limited work history, the lower-earning spouse can claim a spousal benefit worth up to 50% (10) of the higher-earning person’s benefit at their full retirement age (if claimed at their own full retirement age).
That changes the math: If the highest earner qualifies for $5,181 at age 70, and the lower-earning spouse collects a spousal benefit of about $2,590, the combined household total reaches about $7,771 per month, still well above the average couple’s $4,152, although the spouse’s portion would be reduced if claimed before full retirement age.
For couples still in the planning phase, the clearest lever is coordination WHO claims when. The higher-earning spouse should often consider waiting until age 70. The reasoning goes beyond maximizing your own benefit: it also establishes a higher survival benefit. If that spouse dies first, the surviving spouse generally receives the greater of the two benefits.
“Social Security strategy is very important and people underestimate its importance,” Russell Hackmann, founder and president of Hackmann Wealth Partners, tells (7) US News. “In my opinion, it makes sense for the highest-income person to wait.”
The lower-earning spouse can often claim earlier who will generate income in the meantime. This can keep the household afloat while the higher earner’s benefit continues to grow.
An important caveat: Delaying benefits means withdrawing other savings in the meantime. “If I wait longer, I’ll have to use some of my investments,” says Hackmann (7), adding that taxes on early withdrawals from retirement accounts can complicate the picture.
While the monthly maximum of $10,362 is real, it requires high career-equivalent income and near-optimal timing. For most couples, the most achievable goal is to close the gap between the average and the possible. The strategies to achieve this are available to many more people than the maximum benefit will ever be.
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USA Today (1); Social Security Administration (2), (4), (6), (8), (10); Internal Revenue Service (3); CNBC (5); US News (7); AARP (9)
This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com with the title: Some Couples Are Collecting $10,000 a Month in Social Security: Here’s Who Qualifies and What It Takes to Get There
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
