Why it's important to check your earnings history

It may have been years or even decades since you thought about how much you earned at your first job. Did you know that you can find out how much you made that first year? Or any year you worked and paid Social Security taxes?

Your earnings history is a record of your progress toward your future Social Security benefits. We track your earnings so we can pay you the benefits you’ve earned over your lifetime. That is why it’s so important for you to review your earnings record.

Even though it’s your employer’s responsibility to provide accurate earnings information, you should review your earnings history and let us know if there are any errors or omissions. Otherwise, your future Social Security benefits could be lower than you should receive.

It’s important to identify and report errors as soon as possible. If too much time passes, it could be hard for you to get older tax documents. Also, some employers may no longer exist or be able to provide past payroll information.

The best way to verify your earnings record is to visit http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount and create or sign in to your personal my Social Security account. You should review your earnings carefully every year and confirm them using your own records, such as W-2 forms and tax returns.

Keep in mind that earnings from this year and last year may not be listed yet. When you have a personal my Social Security account, we send you an email once a year, three months before your birthday, to remind you to check your earnings and to get future benefit estimates.

If your Social Security earnings record is incorrect and does not match your personal records, you may be able to submit a correction request online using your personal my Social Security at http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount. If that feature is available in your personal my Social Security account, you can use the online process to correct missing earnings, inaccurate earnings from a valid employer, or earnings from an employer you did not work for. You’ll need to provide:

Your address if we need to contact you about your request.

Details about your correct earnings and employer.

Evidence or proof of correct earnings, if available.

You can electronically upload your proof (W-2, W-2C, tax return, wage stub, pay slip, etc.) in a JPG or PDF format. After you successfully submit your evidence, you can print or save a receipt.

Earnings corrections cannot be processed online if they are for:

• The current or prior year, which may not be recorded yet.

• Self-employment.

• Railroad Board.

• Certain years before 1978.

Also, you cannot submit an earnings correction online if you: 

• Receive Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Medicare.

• Have applied for Social Security benefits or SSI. 

If you cannot correct your earnings online, call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to request a correction.

Start a conversation today. Ask a family member or friend about their first job and let them know they can find out what they earned that year!