You can check your Social Security credits on your personal account at ssa.gov, or by calling Social Security directly

Your Social Security credits are the work record that determines whether you can receive benefits later. You earn one credit for every $1,730 of wages you report to Social Security in 2024 (this dollar amount changes each year). You can earn a maximum of four credits per year, regardless of how much you earn. To see exactly how many credits you have accumulated, you need to look at your official Social Security record.

The fastest way is to create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Once you log in, your earnings record and credit count appear under the "Earnings Record" tab. If you do not use online accounts, you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask an agent to read your credits to you over the phone. You can also visit a local Social Security office in person, though wait times are often long.

Your record shows not just how many credits you have, but which years you earned them and how much you were paid. This matters because Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings to calculate your benefit amount. If you spot an error — a year where you worked but no wages appear, or wages that seem too low — you can file a correction with Social Security, though you will need pay stubs or tax records as proof.

Key Takeaways

  • You earn one Social Security credit for every $1,730 of reported wages in 2024, and you can earn up to four credits per year.
  • Your my Social Security account at ssa.gov shows your exact credit count and the year-by-year earnings record behind it.
  • You need 40 credits total to receive retirement benefits, and 20 credits earned in the last 10 years to receive disability or survivor benefits.
  • If your earnings record contains errors, you can contact Social Security with pay stubs or tax documents to request a correction.

How credits connect to the benefits you can receive

The number of credits you have determines not just whether you can receive benefits, but which type. For retirement benefits, you need 40 credits total — roughly 10 years of full-time work. There is no time limit on when you earned them; credits from 20 years ago count the same as credits from last year.

For disability benefits or survivor benefits (paid to your family if you die), the rules are stricter. You need only 20 credits, but they must have been earned in the 10 years before you become disabled or die. This is why a young worker who becomes disabled may not have enough credits yet, even if they have worked steadily. A worker who stopped working five years ago and then becomes disabled will not have the recent credits needed, even if they have 40 credits total.

Social Security also looks at your age when you earned credits. If you were born after 1929, you need one credit for every year of age between 21 and the age you become disabled or die, up to a maximum of 20 credits. This rule rarely applies to retirement benefits but matters for younger workers filing for disability.

What to do if your credit count seems wrong

Errors in your Social Security record are not uncommon. A former employer may have reported your wages under the wrong name or Social Security number. You may have worked under a maiden name that was never linked to your current record. Wages from self-employment sometimes do not appear if you did not file a tax return that year.

To correct an error, gather documentation: W-2 forms, pay stubs, or a copy of your tax return for the year in question. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and explain which year is wrong and what the correct amount should be. They will ask you to mail or bring in your documents. Social Security can correct errors going back several years, but the sooner you report a mistake, the easier it is to fix.

If you worked for a railroad, your credits may appear on a separate record maintained by the Railroad Retirement Board, not Social Security. If you worked for a government agency that did not participate in Social Security, those years will not show credits at all, even if you were paid. These situations require contacting the Railroad Retirement Board or your former employer's pension office, not Social Security.

How the dollar amount for credits changes each year

Social Security adjusts the dollar amount needed to earn a credit every January. In 2024, you need $1,730 in wages to earn one credit. In 2023, it was $1,640. In 2022, it was $1,510. The amount rises most years because of wage growth, but it can stay the same or rise very little in years when wage growth is slow.

This means that the same job might earn you four credits one year and only three the next, depending on whether your wages cross the threshold. If you are self-employed, you report your net business income (after expenses) to Social Security, and the same dollar thresholds explore. You cannot earn more than four credits in a single year no matter how much you earn — once you hit the fourth threshold, additional earnings that year do not create more credits.

Checking your record before you turn 60

Social Security recommends checking your earnings record every few years, especially before you turn 60. At that point, you are getting close to when you might file for benefits, and any errors become harder to fix. Social Security has a three-year, three-month, and 15-day window to correct most wage reporting errors. After that, you can still request a correction, but you will need much stronger documentation.

If you have not worked in several years, check your record to see whether your most recent credits are still there. Credits do not expire, but if you are counting on recent credits for disability or survivor benefits, you need to know whether you still have them. A gap in your work history will show clearly on your earnings record, and you can plan accordingly.

Understanding credits if you worked in multiple countries

If you worked in the United States and also in another country, your credits from the other country may not count toward Social Security benefits. The United States has totalization agreements with about 30 countries that allow workers to combine credits from both countries. These agreements exist with Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, and many others, but not all countries.

If you worked abroad, contact Social Security and tell them which country. They can tell you whether a totalization agreement exists and how your foreign work affects your benefit calculation. You will need to provide documentation of your work and contributions in the other country, which usually means contacting that country's social security or pension agency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I earn credits if I am self-employed?

Yes. You earn credits based on your net self-employment income (business income minus expenses) reported on your tax return. You must file a tax return and pay self-employment tax to earn credits. If you do not file a return, Social Security has no record of your income and cannot credit you for that year.

What happens if I do not have 40 credits by retirement age?

You cannot receive retirement benefits. You can continue working to earn more credits, or you may be able to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if your income and assets are low enough. SSI is a needs-based program separate from Social Security, and the rules are different.

Do credits expire or disappear if I do not work for a few years?

No. Credits never expire. If you earned 30 credits by age 35 and then stopped working, those 30 credits remain on your record forever. However, if you later become disabled, you will need 20 of those credits to have been earned in the past 10 years — so a long gap in work can disqualify you for disability benefits even if you have 40 credits total.

If I worked under different names, will all my credits be combined?

Only if your Social Security record has been updated to show all your names. If you changed your name through marriage or legal action, contact Social Security with your marriage certificate or court order to update your record. If wages were reported under a different name that was never linked to your account, you will need to contact Social Security with documentation to have them combined.

Can my spouse's credits help me get benefits?

Your spouse's credits do not add to your own credit count. However, if you do not have enough credits for your own retirement benefit, you may be able to receive a spousal benefit based on their work record instead. This is a separate calculation and requires that your spouse is at least 62 years old or already receiving benefits.