Social Security tax is a 6.2% federal payroll tax on your wages, matched by another 6.2% from your employer, that funds retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. In 2026, both shares apply only to the first $184,500 you earn; anything above that isn’t subject to the tax. Self-employed workers pay both halves themselves, for a combined 12.4%, but get to deduct half of what they owe.
The Rate and How It Splits
Every employee pays 6.2% of gross wages toward Social Security. Employers pay a matching 6.2%, for a combined 12.4% on each worker’s earnings. Those rates are written into federal statute and have stayed at 6.2% per side since 1990.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 3101 – Rate of Tax2Social Security Administration. FICA and SECA Tax Rates
You won’t see the employer’s share on your pay stub. It never touches your paycheck; your employer calculates and remits both portions to the IRS. The 6.2% figure covers only the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance portion of your payroll deductions. A separate 1.45% Medicare tax also comes out of every paycheck, so total FICA withholding on the employee side is 7.65%.3Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 751, Social Security and Medicare Withholding Rates
Your W-2 confirms the year’s totals. Box 4 shows exactly how much Social Security tax was withheld from your wages. If it doesn’t match your own records, ask payroll for a corrected Form W-2C before you file.4Social Security Administration. Deadline Dates to File W-2s
The 2026 Wage Base: Where the Tax Stops
Social Security tax applies up to a ceiling that resets each year. For 2026, that ceiling is $184,500. Once your year-to-date earnings pass that mark, the 6.2% stops coming out.5Social Security Administration. Contribution and Benefit Base
The math is simple. The most any employee can owe in Social Security tax for 2026 is $11,439, which is 6.2% of $184,500. The employer owes an identical $11,439. If you earn $300,000, you and your employer each still pay $11,439 and nothing more toward Social Security. If you earn $80,000, the full amount is taxable and your share is $4,960.5Social Security Administration. Contribution and Benefit Base
The cap adjusts each year in line with the national average wage index and generally rises. For context, it was $168,600 in 2024 and $176,100 in 2025. Higher earners tend to notice a small bump in take-home pay in the pay period when they cross the threshold, because withholding stops for the rest of the calendar year. Medicare tax has no such cap and continues on every dollar you earn.
If You’re Self-Employed
When you work for yourself, you’re both employee and employer, so you pay both shares. That makes the Social Security portion 12.4%, and total self-employment tax (Social Security plus Medicare) 15.3%.6Internal Revenue Service. Self-Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare Taxes)
The tax doesn’t hit your full net profit. You first multiply net earnings by 92.35% to get the taxable amount. This adjustment mirrors the break traditional employers get on their share, so self-employed workers aren’t penalized for lacking a corporate payroll structure.7Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 554, Self-Employment Tax
You do the calculation on Schedule SE, attached to your Form 1040. Net profit flows in from Schedule C (line 31 for most sole proprietors), gets multiplied by 92.35%, and the result is what you owe 12.4% on for Social Security (still capped at the $184,500 wage base) plus 2.9% for Medicare on the full amount.8Internal Revenue Service. Schedule SE (Form 1040) – Self-Employment Tax
A piece many self-employed people miss: you can deduct half of your self-employment tax when figuring adjusted gross income. The deduction goes on Schedule 1, not Schedule C, so it lowers your income tax but not your self-employment tax itself. It’s the government’s acknowledgment that a traditional employer would have paid half and written it off as a business expense.7Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 554, Self-Employment Tax
If your net self-employment earnings for the year come in under $400, you generally don’t owe self-employment tax at all.7Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 554, Self-Employment Tax
Quarterly Estimated Payments
Because no employer withholds on your behalf, you’re expected to send estimated payments four times a year. The due dates are April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year.9Internal Revenue Service. Individuals – When to Pay Estimated Tax
Miss a deadline or underpay and you can trigger a penalty calculated on Form 2210. To stay clear, you need to hit at least one safe harbor: owe less than $1,000 when you file, pay at least 90% of what you owe for the current year, or pay 100% of your prior-year tax liability. If your prior-year adjusted gross income was above $150,000, the prior-year threshold climbs to 110%.10Internal Revenue Service. Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals Penalty
The IRS’s Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) is the standard way to submit estimated payments. It’s free, lets you schedule payments in advance, and draws directly from your bank account. Enrollment involves receiving a PIN by mail, so set it up well before your first payment is due.11Internal Revenue Service. EFTPS: The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System You can also mail a check or money order payable to the United States Treasury with a Form 1040-ES voucher; the postmark counts as the filing date.
If You Work More Than One Job
Each employer withholds 6.2% independently, without any way to know about your other jobs. If your combined wages cross $184,500, more than $11,439 will come out of your pay across the year.
You get the excess back when you file. Claim it as a credit on Schedule 3, Line 11 of Form 1040. It directly reduces the tax you owe or increases your refund.12Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 608, Excess Social Security and RRTA Tax Withheld
The fix is different when a single employer withholds too much through a payroll error. In that case, that employer refunds the excess to you directly, and you don’t claim it on your tax return.
Who’s Exempt
Most workers can’t opt out, but a few narrow exemptions exist.
Members of Certain Religious Groups
Members of recognized religious groups that oppose accepting insurance benefits, including Social Security, can apply for an exemption on Form 4029. The application requires evidence of membership, a waiver of all future Social Security and Medicare benefits, and a finding by the Social Security Administration that the group has a longstanding practice of caring for its dependent members. In practice, this applies mostly to certain Amish and Mennonite communities.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 1402 – Definitions
Nonresident Alien Students and Researchers
Foreign nationals in the United States on F-1, J-1, or M-1 visas are generally exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes as long as they’re still classified as nonresident aliens for tax purposes and their employment is authorized under and related to their visa. The exemption typically covers the first five calendar years of presence in the U.S.14Internal Revenue Service. Foreign Student Liability for Social Security and Medicare Taxes
Some State and Local Government Employees
State and local government workers who participate in a qualifying public retirement system may be exempt if their employer hasn’t entered into a voluntary coverage agreement (a Section 218 Agreement) with the Social Security Administration. Since July 1991, government employees without a qualifying pension plan and without a Section 218 Agreement have generally been subject to mandatory Social Security coverage.15Internal Revenue Service. State and Local Government Employees Social Security and Medicare Coverage
Workers Under an International Totalization Agreement
The United States has totalization agreements with dozens of countries to prevent workers from paying into two Social Security systems at once. If your U.S. employer transfers you abroad for five years or fewer, you generally keep paying into the U.S. system and skip the host country’s equivalent. Self-employed U.S. citizens working in an agreement country are covered under whichever system the agreement assigns them to.16Social Security Administration. International Agreements
A Note on Taxes After You Retire
Paying Social Security tax during your working years is separate from how your benefits are treated in retirement. Depending on your income once you start collecting, up to 85% of the benefits you receive can be subject to federal income tax under a formula that combines your adjusted gross income, nontaxable interest, and half of your benefits.17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 US Code 86 – Social Security and Tier 1 Railroad Retirement Benefits That’s a different tax question from the payroll tax covered here, but worth knowing exists so you’re not caught by surprise later.