Social Security Benefit Estimate Calculator
Your Social Security retirement benefit at full retirement age is called the primary insurance amount, or PIA, and it is built from a single progressive formula that the Social Security Administration applies to your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME). This calculator takes your AIME and the two annual bend points, then layers three percentages on top of one another: 90 percent of the first slice of earnings, 32 percent of the middle slice, and 15 percent of everything above the upper bend point. Because the first slice is rewarded so heavily, the formula deliberately replaces a much larger share of income for lower earners than for higher earners. Enter your own AIME to see roughly how much of your earnings the program is designed to replace, and edit the bend points to match the year your benefits begin, since they rise each year with the national average wage index. This estimate covers the PIA only; it does not adjust for claiming age, cost-of-living increases, or your full earnings history. Every figure here is computed deterministically from the bend-point formula shown below, with a worked example that reconciles exactly to the calculator so you can follow each step.
The PIA formula adds 90% of the first slice, 32% of the middle, and 15% above the upper bend point: PIA = 0.90 x first + 0.32 x middle + 0.15 x top. With an AIME of 6,000 and bend points of 1,174 and 7,078, the estimated monthly benefit is $2,600.92.
Primary insurance amount formula
PIA = 0.90 x A + 0.32 x B + 0.15 x C
A = AIME up to the first bend point
B = AIME between the first and second bend points
C = AIME above the second bend point
(bend points shown: 1,174 and 7,078)
The formula is progressive: the first slice of earnings is replaced at 90 percent, the middle slice at 32 percent, and the highest slice at just 15 percent. If your AIME is below a bend point, the slices above it are zero.
Worked example
Suppose your AIME is 6,000 dollars, with bend points of 1,174 and 7,078 dollars.
- First slice: 1,174 x 0.90 = 1,056.60
- Middle slice: (6,000 - 1,174) = 4,826, x 0.32 = 1,544.32
- Top slice: AIME is below 7,078, so the top slice is 0.00
- PIA = 1,056.60 + 1,544.32 + 0.00 = 2,600.92
The estimated monthly benefit at full retirement age is 2,600.92 dollars. These are the calculator's default inputs, so the result matches the widget exactly.
Social Security Benefit Estimate Calculator: frequently asked questions
What is the primary insurance amount (PIA)?
The primary insurance amount is the monthly Social Security benefit you would receive at your full retirement age. It is calculated from your average indexed monthly earnings using a three-part progressive formula that applies a high percentage to the first slice of earnings and lower percentages to higher slices, so lower earners get back a larger share of what they paid in.
What are bend points?
Bend points are the dollar thresholds that split your AIME into three slices, each multiplied by a different percentage (90%, 32% and 15%). The bend points change each year with the national average wage index. This calculator uses bend points of 1,174 and 7,078 dollars by default, which the Social Security Administration publishes; you can edit them to match the year your benefits start.
What is AIME?
Average indexed monthly earnings is your highest 35 years of wage-indexed earnings, summed and divided by 420 months. Earnings from earlier years are scaled up to current wage levels before averaging. The Social Security Administration computes your actual AIME from your earnings record; this tool lets you enter an estimate to see how the benefit formula works.
Is this my official benefit?
No. This is an educational estimate of the PIA formula only. Your actual benefit depends on your full earnings record, the year you claim, cost-of-living adjustments, and reductions or credits for claiming before or after full retirement age. For your official figures, create a my Social Security account at the Social Security Administration.
How does claiming age change the benefit?
The PIA is the benefit at full retirement age. Claiming earlier (as early as 62) permanently reduces it, while delaying past full retirement age up to 70 increases it through delayed retirement credits. This calculator shows the PIA only; the SSA provides the age adjustment factors.
Official sources
- Benefit formula, bend points and AIME method: US Social Security Administration (SSA). As at 25 June 2026.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 25 June 2026. See our methodology. This is general information, not financial, tax, legal or investment advice.