The Social Security Administration (SSA) allows American workers to check the number of work credits on their my Social Security account. Of course, if you do not have one online account, you will need to create a new one. Those who have already created one, just need to log in. For your information, there is an essential requirement to create your my SSA account.
All Americans who would like to open a my Social Security account will need a Social Security Number (SSN). Also, the Agency will ask for your date of birth and other personal information in order to ensure that it is you and not another person pretending to be you. So, SSA will verify your identity. Keep your credentials safe to log in in the future.
Download your Social Security Statement
Once you have manage to either create a my SSA account and log in, check your Statement. Do not forget that this Statement will let you know the earnings you have had so far as well as the number of work credits you have.
Keep in mind that to qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, you must have earned at least 40 work credits at the age of 62. Those citizens who happen to have a qualifying disability may need fewer credits to get SSDI.
In this way, they may qualify for monthly SSDI payments without having gotten 40 work credits. For example, if you are age 30, you will need at leas 2 years of work, which is about 8 work credits.
How many work credits can I earn from Social Security per year? How much do I need in earnings?
As a matter of fact, you can only earn up to 4 work credits per year. That is the maximum you can earn. Actually, you will need $1,810 in covered earnings to get 4 work credits in 2025.
The previous amount was $1,730 in 2024. So, it has been update in January 2025 after the latest Cost-of-Living Adjustment that the Social Security Administration announced on October 10, 2024.
In general, a worker will need 10 years of work to get the necessary 40 work credits to get Social Security retirement benefit payments at the age of 62. Check your Statement to see the number of work credits your have but also check if your earnings record is accurate. Report any mistakes ASAP.