The Social Security wage base (the official term is the contribution and benefit base) is the cap on annual earnings subject to the 6.2% OASDI payroll tax. Earnings above the cap escape the tax and do not count toward your future benefit. SSA sets the figure each October based on the national average wage index, and it takes effect every January 1.
For 2026 the wage base is $184,500, an increase of $8,400 (4.8%) over the 2025 figure of $176,100. The full historical series back to 1937 is below.
2026 wage base
$184,500
Capped earnings subject to 6.2% OASDI tax
Change vs prior year
+$8,400
4.8% increase from 2025
Wage base in 1937
$3,000
First year of Social Security
OASDI tax rate
6.2%
Matched by employer (12.4% self-employed)
Annual Social Security wage base, 1937 to 2026
Every figure published by the SSA Office of the Chief Actuary. From 1937 through 1971 the base only changed when Congress voted, so several years share the same value. From 1972 onward the figure updates each January, indexed to the national average wage index.
| Year | Wage base | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | $3,000 | first year |
| 1938 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1939 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1940 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1941 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1942 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1943 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1944 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1945 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1946 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1947 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1948 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1949 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1950 | $3,000 | no change |
| 1951 | $3,600 | +$600 (20.0%) |
| 1952 | $3,600 | no change |
| 1953 | $3,600 | no change |
| 1954 | $3,600 | no change |
| 1955 | $4,200 | +$600 (16.7%) |
| 1956 | $4,200 | no change |
| 1957 | $4,200 | no change |
| 1958 | $4,200 | no change |
| 1959 | $4,800 | +$600 (14.3%) |
| 1960 | $4,800 | no change |
| 1961 | $4,800 | no change |
| 1962 | $4,800 | no change |
| 1963 | $4,800 | no change |
| 1964 | $4,800 | no change |
| 1965 | $4,800 | no change |
| 1966 | $6,600 | +$1,800 (37.5%) |
| 1967 | $6,600 | no change |
| 1968 | $7,800 | +$1,200 (18.2%) |
| 1969 | $7,800 | no change |
| 1970 | $7,800 | no change |
| 1971 | $7,800 | no change |
| 1972 | $9,000 | +$1,200 (15.4%) |
| 1973 | $10,800 | +$1,800 (20.0%) |
| 1974 | $13,200 | +$2,400 (22.2%) |
| 1975 | $14,100 | +$900 (6.8%) |
| 1976 | $15,300 | +$1,200 (8.5%) |
| 1977 | $16,500 | +$1,200 (7.8%) |
| 1978 | $17,700 | +$1,200 (7.3%) |
| 1979 | $22,900 | +$5,200 (29.4%) |
| 1980 | $25,900 | +$3,000 (13.1%) |
| 1981 | $29,700 | +$3,800 (14.7%) |
| 1982 | $32,400 | +$2,700 (9.1%) |
| 1983 | $35,700 | +$3,300 (10.2%) |
| 1984 | $37,800 | +$2,100 (5.9%) |
| 1985 | $39,600 | +$1,800 (4.8%) |
| 1986 | $42,000 | +$2,400 (6.1%) |
| 1987 | $43,800 | +$1,800 (4.3%) |
| 1988 | $45,000 | +$1,200 (2.7%) |
| 1989 | $48,000 | +$3,000 (6.7%) |
| 1990 | $51,300 | +$3,300 (6.9%) |
| 1991 | $53,400 | +$2,100 (4.1%) |
| 1992 | $55,500 | +$2,100 (3.9%) |
| 1993 | $57,600 | +$2,100 (3.8%) |
| 1994 | $60,600 | +$3,000 (5.2%) |
| 1995 | $61,200 | +$600 (1.0%) |
| 1996 | $62,700 | +$1,500 (2.5%) |
| 1997 | $65,400 | +$2,700 (4.3%) |
| 1998 | $68,400 | +$3,000 (4.6%) |
| 1999 | $72,600 | +$4,200 (6.1%) |
| 2000 | $76,200 | +$3,600 (5.0%) |
| 2001 | $80,400 | +$4,200 (5.5%) |
| 2002 | $84,900 | +$4,500 (5.6%) |
| 2003 | $87,000 | +$2,100 (2.5%) |
| 2004 | $87,900 | +$900 (1.0%) |
| 2005 | $90,000 | +$2,100 (2.4%) |
| 2006 | $94,200 | +$4,200 (4.7%) |
| 2007 | $97,500 | +$3,300 (3.5%) |
| 2008 | $102,000 | +$4,500 (4.6%) |
| 2009 | $106,800 | +$4,800 (4.7%) |
| 2010 | $106,800 | no change |
| 2011 | $106,800 | no change |
| 2012 | $110,100 | +$3,300 (3.1%) |
| 2013 | $113,700 | +$3,600 (3.3%) |
| 2014 | $117,000 | +$3,300 (2.9%) |
| 2015 | $118,500 | +$1,500 (1.3%) |
| 2016 | $118,500 | no change |
| 2017 | $127,200 | +$8,700 (7.3%) |
| 2018 | $128,400 | +$1,200 (0.9%) |
| 2019 | $132,900 | +$4,500 (3.5%) |
| 2020 | $137,700 | +$4,800 (3.6%) |
| 2021 | $142,800 | +$5,100 (3.7%) |
| 2022 | $147,000 | +$4,200 (2.9%) |
| 2023 | $160,200 | +$13,200 (9.0%) |
| 2024 | $168,600 | +$8,400 (5.2%) |
| 2025 | $176,100 | +$7,500 (4.4%) |
| 2026 | $184,500 | +$8,400 (4.8%) |
Source: SSA Office of the Chief Actuary, Contribution and Benefit Base. Figures expressed in nominal dollars at the time each year was set. Total nominal increase from 1937 to 2026: 6050%.
How SSA sets the wage base each year
The wage base updates by formula, not by vote. Each October SSA looks at the latest national average wage index data through the previous calendar year. If average wages rose, the wage base rises by the same percentage and rounds to the nearest $300. If average wages stayed flat or fell, the base does not change. By law it cannot decrease, so years like 2010, 2011, and 2016 saw the base hold steady because AWI had ticked down or stayed flat.
The mechanical update means the announcement timing is reliable. Watch SSA's October press release for the new figure. The corresponding 6.2% Social Security tax cap takes effect on the first paycheck dated January 1 or later in the new year.
What the wage base means for your paycheck and your benefit
Payroll withholding
Employers stop withholding the 6.2% Social Security tax once your year-to-date earnings cross the wage base. They do not stop withholding the 1.45% Medicare tax, which applies to every dollar with no cap. If you have two jobs and your combined earnings exceed the base, each employer withholds independently and you can over-pay. The excess gets credited back on your tax return.
Self-employed
Self-employed workers pay the full 12.4% OASDI rate (employee + employer halves) on net earnings up to the wage base, plus 2.9% Medicare with no cap. For high-earning self-employed, the wage base is therefore the line at which the rate effectively drops from 15.3% to 2.9% (plus the 0.9% surtax above the Medicare additional-tax threshold).
Benefit calculation
Your benefit is calculated from your average indexed monthly earnings, which averages your 35 highest-earning years after each year is wage-indexed forward. Each year's earnings are capped at that year's wage base before averaging. Earnings above the cap in a given year are real income for you, but they do not increase your future Social Security benefit. The PIA bend points page explains how AIME converts to a monthly benefit.
Wage base history FAQ
The questions that come up most often about the Social Security taxable maximum.