Earnings Test
Understanding Your 35-Year Earnings History and Zero-Income Years
Verified against SSA POMS as of August 26, 2026
The short answer
Social Security relies on a 35-year average of indexed earnings to calculate benefits. If you have zero-income years, they may affect your benefit calculation, depending on how your earnings are indexed using the procedures outlined in SSA's POMS RS 00605.925.
Earnings History and Zero-Earnings Years
Social Security retirement benefits are generally based on a worker's highest 35 years of indexed earnings. If a worker has fewer than 35 years with earnings, zero-earnings years are included to bring the calculation to 35 years. These zero years can lower the worker's average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) and resulting benefit.
RS 00605.017Computation Base Years
Computation base years are the years from which SSA selects the earnings used to calculate a worker's benefit. For retirement benefits, they generally include calendar years after 1950 up to the year in which the first month of entitlement to benefits occurs. SSA generally selects the worker's highest 35 years of indexed earnings from the applicable computation base years.
RS 00605.017Related Page
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Indexing Your Earnings
The Social Security Administration determines your Social Security benefits by indexing your earnings for inflation, using charts as described in RS 00605.925. Indexed earnings are calculated by multiplying actual yearly earnings by an indexing factor relevant to the eligibility year of the beneficiary. This process ensures your historical earnings are adjusted to the current value of money.
RS 00605.925 View source ›Frequently asked
How does a zero-income year affect my Social Security?
A zero-income year may be included in your 35-year computation period, potentially lowering your average indexed monthly earnings and reducing your Social Security benefit amount.
What are indexed earnings in Social Security?
Indexed earnings are your earnings adjusted for inflation. SSA uses indexing factors to ensure historical earnings reflect current economic conditions.
Can I exclude zero-income years from my earnings record?
Zero-income years are counted and cannot be excluded from your earnings record. However, future earnings can replace zero-income years when they are posted to your earnings record. This is in accordance with POMS Section RS 00605.401B2.
How are Social Security earnings indexed?
Earnings are indexed using indexing factors provided by SSA, which are applied to adjust your past earnings to reflect inflation and current economic conditions.
What is a computation base year?
Computation base years are any years after 1950 up to the year in which the first month of entitlement to benefits occurs or until you die. They are used to calculate your average indexed monthly earnings.