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Key Takeaways
- Your 35 highest-earning years are what determine how much you get in Social Security benefits.
- If there are years with no income, they could drag your average down.
- Replace your low-wage years with higher-earning years to lift your 35-year average and significantly increase your Social Security benefits.
- Check your wage record at SSA.gov to see how many $0 years you have—and then decide the smartest year to retire.
How a Few $0 Years Can Add Up to Smaller Social Security Benefits
Most people who earn paychecks and pay into Social Security know they’ll qualify for monthly benefits in retirement. Those benefit checks may not cover all of your expenses, but they can provide a reliable cushion for the rest of your life.
What many people don’t realize is how Social Security actually does the math. Your future benefits are not based on your lifetime earnings or just your most recent paychecks. Instead, the Social Security Administration uses your 35 highest-earning years to calculate an average annual wage—and that number determines your monthly payment.
If you’ve worked steadily for decades, this formula can work in your favor. Someone with 40 years of earnings, for example, will simply have their lowest five years dropped from the calculation.
But if you took time off to raise children, spent years unemployed, or had stretches out of the workforce for some other reason, those missing years don’t disappear—they show up as zeros in your record. And those $0 years can take a bigger bite out of your future benefits than you might expect.
How One Higher-Earning Year Could Give Your Retirement Income a Big Boost
Figuring out if your 35 best wage years include any $0 or low-wage entries is smart to do sooner rather than later. That’s because knowing this before you retire can help you identify the best year to stop working.
Say you’re 60 and still working. If your record shows seven years with no earnings, you might decide that retiring at 67 makes sense. Those seven extra years of wages would replace the zeros—and that can raise your average in a big way.
Suppose you have 28 years of wages averaging $40,000, and seven years with $0. Your 35-year average, including the zeros, would be $32,000.
But let’s say you’re able to keep working, and your current income is $60,000. If you add seven more years at that level, those earnings would replace the zeros and push your 35-year average up to $44,000.
This isn’t just a matter of wonky math—it translates directly into the size of your monthly Social Security income. The table below shows how different 35-year average wages translate into monthly benefits for someone retiring at 67 today.
| 35-Year Average Wage | Today’s Monthly Check Amount at Age 67 | Extra Annual Income vs. Previous Tier |
| $30,000 | $1,511 | — |
| $40,000 | $1,778 | $3,200 |
| $50,000 | $2,044 | $3,200 |
| $60,000 | $2,311 | $3,200 |
| $70,000 | $2,578 | $3,200 |
| $80,000 | $2,844 | $3,200 |
| $90,000 | $3,127 | $3,396 |
| $100,000 | $3,519 | $4,700 |
As you can see, boosting your 35-year average wage can turn into thousands of dollars more in income Social Security income—every year of your retirement. That’s why spotting and replacing low-wage or $0 years can be such a smart move.
Check Your Social Security Record—You Might Find Working Longer Really Pays Off
The easiest way to check your official wage history is by creating or logging into your “my Social Security” account at SSA.gov. There, you can view your annual earnings record. Keep in mind this record is usually updated once a year, typically after you file your tax return for the prior year. So if you file your taxes in April, May can be a good time to check your account each year.
By reviewing your wage record today, you’ll see how many $0 or low-wage years are included in your 35-year average—and how many you might still be able to replace with higher-earning years. That insight can help you decide how much longer to work. For those filling multiple gaps in their record, the increase in future income could be considerable.
The Bottom Line
Those blank years in your Social Security earnings record could be dragging down your future monthly checks. Since benefits are calculated using your 35 highest-earning years, every $0 counts against you, potentially costing thousands in annual retirement income. The smart move? Check your wage history at SSA.gov now to see exactly how many zeros you’re carrying, if they correctly reflect your work history, and whether you want to adjust your future retirement plans.
