24 June 2025 Social Security Administration publishes wage base projections for 2026 through 2034 For those responsible for employment tax budgets, or just curious what the future may hold, following are the estimated Social Security wage-base limits for employers and employees for calendar years 2026 through 2034 as recently published by the Social Security Administration (SSA). (Social Security Administration press release, 6-18-2025; The 2025 OASDI Trustees Report, Table V.C.1, pg.124.) In reviewing the following charts, keep in mind that the SSA provides three estimates — high, intermediate and low. For 2025, the actual wage base is $176,100, higher than the projected intermediate and high-cost estimate of $174,900 and the low-cost estimate of $175,500 published in the May 2024 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees. (See Tax Alerts 2024-0936 and 2024-1870.) The June 2025 projections reflect an estimated increase in 2026 to $183,600 for intermediate and high-cost and $183,300 for low-cost. Projected Social Security wage base information as provided by the SSA in June 2025 Calendar year | Intermediate estimated wage base $ | Low-cost estimated wage base $ | High-cost estimated wage base $ | 2025 (actual) | 176,100 | 176,100 | 176,100 | 2026 | 183,600 | 183,600 | 183,300 | 2027 | 190,800 | 192,900 | 186,000 | 2028 | 198,900 | 203,700 | 190,200 | 2029 | 207,000 | 214,500 | 196,800 | 2030 | 215,400 | 225,900 | 203,700 | 2031 | 223,800 | 237,900 | 210,000 | 2032 | 232,500 | 250,500 | 216,000 | 2033 | 241,800 | 263,700 | 222,000 | 2034 | 251,100 | 277,500 | 228,000 |
Projected Social Security wage base information as provided by the SSA in May 2024 Calendar year | Intermediate estimated wage base $ | Low-cost estimated wage base $ | High-cost estimated wage base $ | 2024 (actual) | 168,600 | 168,600 | 168,600 | 2025 | 174,900 | 175,500 | 174,900 | 2026 | 181,800 | 184,200 | 178,500 | 2027 | 188,100 | 194,100 | 181,200 | 2028 | 195,900 | 204,000 | 187,800 | 2029 | 204,000 | 215,100 | 194,700 | 2030 | 213,600 | 227,100 | 201,900 | 2031 | 222,900 | 239,700 | 209,100 | 2032 | 232,500 | 252,600 | 216,600 | 2033 | 242,700 | 267,000 | 224,100 |
| * * * * * * * * * * | | Contact Information | For additional information concerning this Alert, please contact: Workforce Tax Services - Employment Tax Advisory Services | | Published by NTD’s Tax Technical Knowledge Services group; Andrea Ben-Yosef, legal editor |
Document ID: 2025-1334 |
