Social Security tax stops once your earnings reach a yearly limit called the wage base or taxable maximum. For 2027 the Social Security Administration set it at $192,300, up $7,800 from 2026.
This guide gives the new base, the tax rates it applies to, the maximum tax for employees and the self-employed, how the number is calculated and worked examples. It follows SSA's notice published in the Federal Register on 26 October 2026 and IRS Topic 751.
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security wage base (OASDI contribution and benefit base) | $184,500 | $192,300 |
| Most an employee pays in Social Security tax (6.2%) | $11,439.00 | $11,922.60 |
| Most a self-employed person pays in Social Security tax (12.4%) | $22,878.00 | $23,845.20 |
The Social Security Administration (SSA) says the base is $192,300 for remuneration paid in 2027 and for self-employment income earned in tax years beginning in 2027, and that it serves as the maximum annual earnings on which OASDI taxes are paid. The 2026 base is $184,500. The dollar results in the table are our calculations from the published rates.
Per the IRS, the Social Security tax rate is 6.2% for the employer and 6.2% for the employee, 12.4% in total, and the Medicare rate is 1.45% each, 2.9% in total. Only the Social Security tax has a wage base limit. Employers also withhold the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages above $200,000 in a calendar year, regardless of filing status, with no employer match. For the self-employed version of these taxes, see our Schedule SE guide.
| Wages in 2027 | Social Security (6.2% to $192,300) | Medicare (1.45%) | Additional Medicare (0.9% over $200,000) | Total employee FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $3,720.00 | $870.00 | $0.00 | $4,590.00 |
| $100,000 | $6,200.00 | $1,450.00 | $0.00 | $7,650.00 |
| $150,000 | $9,300.00 | $2,175.00 | $0.00 | $11,475.00 |
| $192,300 | $11,922.60 | $2,788.35 | $0.00 | $14,710.95 |
| $250,000 | $11,922.60 | $3,625.00 | $450.00 | $15,997.60 |
| $300,000 | $11,922.60 | $4,350.00 | $900.00 | $17,172.60 |
These are our calculations from the published rates and the 2027 base. Your employer's payroll system works period by period, and this ignores other withholding such as income tax. Employers match the Social Security and Medicare amounts, but not the Additional Medicare Tax. The Additional Medicare column shows what an employer withholds; the tax you owe on your return is based on a threshold that depends on your filing status (IRS Topic 751).
By law the base for 2027 is the larger of the 1994 base of $60,600 multiplied by the ratio of the national average wage index for 2025 to that for 1992, or the current base, rounded to the nearest $300. The 2025 index is $72,800.33, which makes the formula result $192,353.14, rounded to $192,300. Because that is above the current $184,500, it becomes the 2027 base. SSA also publishes an old-law base of $142,800 for 2027, used by the Railroad Retirement program and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, not for ordinary payroll tax.
The 2027 increase of $7,800 in the base means earners above $192,300 pay up to $483.60 more Social Security tax than at the 2026 maximum, and the self-employed up to $967.20 more. Earnings over the base still bear Medicare tax, and over $200,000 the Additional Medicare Tax. Benefits rise too: see our 2027 cost-of-living adjustment guide for the 3.6% increase.
Social Security Administration: Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations for 2027 (Federal Register, 26 October 2026), Federal Register official PDF (govinfo.gov), 91 FR 67380, IRS Topic 751: Social Security and Medicare withholding rates.