How does the Social Security earnings test work if I keep working before full retirement age?

If you claim before your full retirement age and keep working, Social Security temporarily withholds part of your benefit. In 2025, if you are under FRA all year, $1 is withheld for every $2 you earn above $23,400. In the year you reach FRA, the limit jumps to $62,160 and only $1 is withheld for every $3 above it, counting only months before your birthday. Once you reach FRA, the earnings test disappears entirely — you can earn any amount with no withholding. Crucially, withheld benefits are not lost forever: at FRA your benefit is recalculated upward to credit the months that were withheld. Still, claiming early while earning a strong salary is often inefficient. If you plan to keep working, delaying your claim usually makes more sense — check the trade-off at wealthserene.com/tools/social-security-optimizer.