The Social Security Administration recently announced the upcoming cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2025, and with it comes a number of changes that will take effect next year.

One of these changes concerns the maximum benefit amount. As of 2025, the most you can receive from Social Security is $5,108 per month, up from $4,873 per month in 2024. This is also significantly higher than the average benefit for retired workers, which was around $1,922 in September 2024. dollars per month.

There are several requirements you must meet to receive the maximum payments, and here's exactly what you'll need to snag those checks.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Make sure you have worked long enough

To be eligible for retirement benefits, you generally only need to work and pay Social Security taxes for ten years. However, if you want to maximize your benefit amount, you must have worked for at least 35 years before you are eligible.

Your performance is based on the average of your earnings over the 35 years of your career in which you earned the most. There are a few other calculations involved in the process, such as adjusting your pay for inflation, but in general the longer you work, the higher your benefit could be.

If you file your Social Security claim after working less than 35 full years, your average will include zeros for each month you didn't earn income. This will reduce your benefit and make it impossible to reach the monthly maximum of $5,108.

2. Delay benefits for as long as possible

Your earnings history determines your primary insurance amount, which is the amount you will receive if you file when you reach your full retirement age (FRA). Your FRA depends on your birth year, but is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.

If you wait to file your FRA, you'll receive 100% of your earned benefit, but to maximize your payments, you'll need to wait a few more years and file at age 70. While you can technically claim benefits after age 70, your payments will not continue to increase past that age.

If you were to file at age 67, the maximum possible benefit in 2025 would be just $4,043 per month. While that's still a significant amount, it's a whopping $1,065 per month less than what you'd get if you waited just three more years to file.

3. Aim for the earning limit

The final factor in determining your benefit is your income – specifically, how close you are to the maximum taxable income limit.

Each year, the government sets a limit on how much of your income can be taxed for Social Security purposes. The closer your income is to this limit, the higher your benefit. Once you exceed the cap, that income is not subject to Social Security tax but is also not included in your benefit calculations.

As of 2025, the maximum taxable income limit is $176,100 per year – up from $168,600 per year in 2024. For comparison, if you started your career 35 years ago in 1990, the limit this year was $51,300 -dollars per year. To achieve maximum benefit, you must have consistently reached these limits throughout your career.

Whether or not you can achieve these benchmarks, taking small steps to increase your utility can go a long way. If you extend your career by a year or two, delay benefits even slightly, and do your best to increase your income, these factors can result in a higher monthly payment upon retirement.