05.05.25 -- She's 51. A nurse anesthetist. After years of long shifts and high stress, she's earned a solid income and built a healthy retirement portfolio. Now she's thinking about scaling back — fewer shifts, more breathing room.
She asked the question many high-income professionals ask:
"If I cut my income from $250K to $150K, will my Social Security benefit go down?"
Let's walk through it together.
How Social Security Benefits Are Calculated
Social Security benefits are based on your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). That number comes from your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) — a fancy way of saying your highest 35 years of earnings, adjusted for inflation.
The SSA uses a formula with three "bend points" to determine your benefit:
- 90% of the first $1,226 of your AIME
- 32% of the amount from $1,226 to $7,391
- 15% of any amount above $7,391
For example: if your AIME is $13,689, your monthly PIA would be about $4,020.
If you take benefits at age 62, they're reduced by 30%. So that $4,020 drops to about $2,814/month.
Will Earning Less Lower My Benefit?
Probably not.
If you already have 25-30 years of high earnings, working fewer hours at a lower income probably won't affect your benefit — because those top 35 years are already "locked in."
If you had some early career years with low or no income, your new $150K income could actually replace one of those years and increase your benefit.
Social Security rewards consistency over time, not just what you earn right now.
What You Can Do Right Now
- Log in to MySocialSecurity.gov to check your earnings history.
- Count how many years you've earned at or near your peak.
- Ask: Are there low-earning years in my record that my new income could replace?
- Run a projection — or better yet, work with an advisor who can model it for you.
Bottom Line
You've worked hard. If your financial foundation is strong, cutting back might not hurt your future — and it might help your life right now.
Planning gives you options. The goal isn't just a high Social Security check — it's peace of mind, and time to enjoy what you've built.
If you're considering a shift — whether that means working less, changing careers, or retiring early — I can help you evaluate what that looks like not just for Social Security, but for your whole financial picture.
We'll break it down together: income, investments, taxes, retirement timing — and make a plan that works for the life you want now and later.