Kaili Killpack
Wed, Apr 9, 2025, 7:15 AM 4 min read
If you've precocious started a occupation that doesn't wage into Social Security, you mightiness beryllium wondering what that means for your aboriginal status benefits. That's precisely what a listener named Marcie asked Suze Orman connected a caller occurrence of her "Women & Money" podcast — and the reply depends connected your enactment history.
The Social Security Administration states that your status payment is based connected your 35 highest-earning years successful jobs that paid into the Social Security system. If you haven't worked for 35 years successful qualifying employment, the SSA fills successful the missing years with zeros.
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That's wherefore Orman told Marcie, "If you don’t already person 35 years successful Social Security and jobs that person paid into Social Security, past yeah, these years that you’re moving that don’t wage into Social Security volition perfectly wounded you."
In different words, non-covered employment — meaning enactment that doesn't withhold Social Security taxes — tin trim your benefits if you haven't already met the 35-year threshold. Those zero-income years bring down your mean earnings, which are utilized to cipher your monthly benefit.
Social Security uses a circumstantial look to find your superior security amount, oregon PIA — the magnitude you'll person astatine afloat status age, which is betwixt 66 and 67 for astir radical today.
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The look is based connected your mean indexed monthly earnings, oregon AIME, from your apical 35 years of earnings. If you don't person 35 years of covered work, your AIME — and truthful your payment — volition apt beryllium lower.
For example, idiosyncratic who worked lone 30 years successful Social Security-covered employment would person 5 years of zeros factored in. Those missing years could origin a noticeable driblet successful monthly benefits.
To suffice for Social Security astatine all, you besides request to gain 40 credits implicit your lifetime. In 2025, 1 recognition equals $1,810 successful wages oregon self-employment income. You tin gain up to 4 credits per year, which means it takes astatine slightest 10 years of covered enactment to qualify.