Working in Retirement? It Can Change Your Social Security Check.

By Maurie Backman – Apr 20, 2026 at 3:08AM ESTKey PointsSocial Security recipients are allowed to have jobs.Your age will determine whether you're subject to an earnings test.Earning too much could alter your monthly payments.For a lot of people, retirement signifies the end of work. And there's nothing wrong with deciding you'll never hold down a job again once your retirement begins. But working in retirement offers a number of benefits. First, there's financial upside. A part-time check could take a lot of pressure off of your savings and supplement your income nicely. Image source: Getty Images. There can be social and mental health benefits, too. A job gives you an opportunity to leave the house, talk to people, and get some structure in your weekly routine. It might also help give you a sense of purpose -- something career-minded people risk losing once their time in the workforce comes to an end. If you're planning to work in retirement, you should know that it may have an impact on your Social Security checks. That impact could be a positive one, but it may also have negative repercussions.

How Social Security's earnings test works Social Security's earnings test applies to people who earn money from employment and who have not yet reached full retirement age, which is 67 for folks born in 1960 or later. Exceeding the earnings-test limit results in having benefits withheld temporarily, so it's an important thing to know about. The earnings-test limit changes every year. In 2026: You'll have $1 in Social Security withheld per $2 of earnings above $24,480 if you won't be reaching full retirement age this year. You'll have $1 in Social Security withheld per $3 of earnings above $65,160 if you will be reaching full retirement age this year. Withheld benefits are not forfeited. Once you reach full retirement age, the Social Security Administration will recalculate your monthly benefits and return the money to you via larger checks. But in the near term, those checks could shrink. There's a financial upside, too On a positive note, working in retirement could lead to larger Social Security checks down the line -- not just because you're getting withheld benefits back, but because you're eligible for larger ones based on your additional wages. Social Security takes your 35 highest-earning years into account when determining what monthly benefit you get. If you don't have a full 35-year work history, it's reflected in that calculation. If you're able to replace a few years you had no earnings with income from a part-time job in retirement, it could lead to larger Social Security checks once the SSA recalculates your benefits. So even if you're working more so for fun than money, you could end up with larger benefits as a happy result.Read NextApr 20, 2026 •By Dana GeorgeThe Truth About Whether Your Ex-Spouse Can Claim Social Security Spousal Benefits Based on Your Work RecordApr 20, 2026 •By Stefon WaltersYour 2026 Social Security Raise Is Already Falling Behind Inflation. Here's the Gap.Apr 19, 2026 •By Maurie BackmanThink a Roth IRA Is Your Best Retirement Savings Tool? 2 Reasons It's Not a No-BrainerApr 19, 2026 •By Dana GeorgeWhat Replaced the Medicare "Donut Hole," and How It's Likely to Impact YouApr 19, 2026 •By Maurie BackmanDon't Write Off Claiming Social Security at 62Apr 19, 2026 •By Dana GeorgeMedicare Won't Cover These Costs. Here's How to Prepare for Them.About the AuthorMaurie Backman is a contributing Motley Fool retirement and Social Security expert with more than a decade of experience writing about personal finance, investing, and retirement planning. Maurie previously worked in finance analyzing distressed companies. She studied finance at Binghamton University.TMFBookNerd