The 2025 SGA limit is $1,550 per month

The Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit for 2025 is $1,550 per month for non-blind workers and $2,590 per month for blind workers. This is the amount of monthly earnings the Social Security Administration uses to decide whether you are working at a level that counts as substantial work. If you earn more than this limit in a month, Social Security will assume you are no longer disabled, and your SSDI payments will stop.

The limit changes every year because it is tied to the national average wage. The 2025 figure is higher than 2024's $1,550 limit for non-blind workers, which means you can earn slightly more before hitting the threshold. However, the exact amount you can earn depends on whether you are blind, whether you are self-employed, and how Social Security counts your income in your specific situation.

Understanding this limit matters because exceeding it triggers a review of your case. You do not lose SSDI when ready, but Social Security will begin the process of determining whether your work shows you are no longer disabled. The timing and the outcome depend on which work incentive you are using, if any.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2025 SGA limit is $1,550 per month for non-blind workers; blind workers have a separate limit of $2,590 per month.
  • Exceeding the SGA limit in any month signals to Social Security that you may no longer be disabled and triggers a medical review.
  • The limit applies to gross earnings before taxes and deductions, and it includes both wages from an employer and net self-employment income.
  • Work incentive programs like Trial Work Period and Extended may be able to access Period allow you to earn above the SGA limit without losing SSDI during specific windows.
  • The SGA limit increases each year; you should check the current year's figure before taking a job or increasing your hours.

How Social Security counts your earnings against the SGA limit

Social Security counts gross earnings — the money you make before taxes, Social Security withholding, or any other deductions. If you are paid by an employer, they report your wages to Social Security through tax records. If you are self-employed, Social Security counts your net profit (income minus business expenses) for the month.

The earnings are counted in the month you earn them, not the month you receive the payment. If you work in January but do not get paid until February, Social Security counts the earnings in January. This matters if you are close to the limit and trying to time your income carefully.

Certain types of income do not count toward the SGA limit. Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) — costs you pay to work because of your disability, such as attendant care or specialized equipment — are subtracted from your earnings before Social Security compares them to the limit. Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) income is also excluded. If you receive subsidies from a vocational rehabilitation program or sheltered workshop, those may not count either. You must report these to Social Security and provide documentation.

What happens when you exceed the SGA limit

If you earn more than $1,550 in a single month, Social Security does not automatically stop your SSDI. Instead, the month counts as a trial work month if you have not used up your Trial Work Period (TWP). During the TWP, you can have nine months of earnings above the SGA limit without losing your SSDI payment, as long as you report the work to Social Security.

Once you have used all nine trial work months, the next month you exceed the SGA limit begins your Extended may be able to access Period (EEP). During the EEP, you can still receive SSDI for up to 36 months, but only in months when your earnings fall below the limit. If you earn above the limit in a month during the EEP, you do not receive a payment that month, but you keep your SSDI status and your Medicare coverage.

After the EEP ends, if you are still working and earning above the SGA limit, Social Security will stop your SSDI and begin a Continuing Disability Review (CDR). This is a medical review to determine whether your condition has improved enough that you are no longer disabled. The outcome depends on your medical evidence, not just your earnings.

The difference between the SGA limit and other income thresholds

The SGA limit is separate from the Student Earned Income Exclusion (for SSDI recipients under 22 who are students) and the Earned Income Exclusion (the first $65 of monthly earnings plus half of the remainder, which reduces SSI payments but not SSDI). If you receive both SSDI and SSI, you must track both limits because they work differently.

The SGA limit is also different from the Substantial Work threshold used in the Ticket to Work program. Under Ticket to Work, you can work above the SGA limit for up to nine years without losing your SSDI, as long as you are using your ticket and meeting the program's reporting requirements. This is a longer window than the standard Trial Work Period and Extended may be able to access Period.

If you are self-employed, Social Security may also look at whether your work is substantial in nature — meaning whether it is the kind of work a non-disabled person would do for pay. Earnings alone do not determine this; Social Security considers the hours you work, the complexity of the work, and whether you are genuinely running a business. You can earn below the SGA limit and still lose SSDI if Social Security decides your self-employment is substantial work.

Planning your work around the SGA limit

If you are thinking about returning to work, you should understand your Trial Work Period status before you start. You can contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local Social Security office to ask how many trial work months you have already used. This information is also in your SSDI statement, which you can view online at ssa.gov if you have a my Social Security account.

If you have not yet used your Trial Work Period, you have more flexibility to test your work capacity without when ready losing SSDI. If you have already used it and are in your Extended may be able to access Period, you need to plan carefully because you will lose your payment in any month you earn above the limit, even though you keep your SSDI status.

Work incentives like IRWE and PASS can lower your countable earnings and help you stay below the SGA limit longer. IRWE requires documentation of disability-related work costs; PASS requires a written plan submitted to Social Security. Both take time to set up, so if you are starting a job soon, ask Social Security about these options early.

Reporting your earnings to Social Security

You must report your earnings to Social Security every month, even if you are below the SGA limit. You can report online through your my Social Security account, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or in person at your local office. Social Security also receives wage reports directly from your employer through tax records, so they will know if you do not report.

If you do not report earnings and Social Security discovers them later, you may be overpaid — meaning you received SSDI payments you were not supposed to get. You will have to repay the overpayment, which Social Security can recover by reducing your future payments or, in some cases, by billing you directly.

Reporting is especially important if you are close to the SGA limit or if your earnings vary month to month. If you have a month with very high earnings followed by a month with low earnings, Social Security needs to see both to count them correctly against your work incentives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the SGA limit explore to non-work income like unemployment or disability payments?

No. The SGA limit applies only to earnings from work — wages, self-employment income, and certain subsidies. Unemployment benefits, workers' compensation, pensions, and other non-work income do not count toward the SGA limit and do not affect your SSDI.

What if I earn exactly $1,550 in a month?

Earning exactly $1,550 does not exceed the limit; you must earn more than $1,550 for the month to count as above SGA. If you earn $1,550.01 or more, the month counts as a trial work month or affects your Extended may be able to access Period, depending on where you are in your work incentive timeline.

Can I work part-time and stay below the SGA limit?

It depends on your hourly wage and how many hours you work. If you earn $15 per hour, you could work about 103 hours per month and stay below $1,550. If you earn $25 per hour, you could work about 62 hours. The math changes every year as the SGA limit increases.

Do I lose Medicare if I exceed the SGA limit?

Not when ready. During your Trial Work Period and Extended may be able to access Period, you keep Medicare even in months when your earnings are above the SGA limit. After your Extended may be able to access Period ends and your SSDI stops, you can usually keep Medicare for an additional 93 months (about 7.75 years) if you pay the premium.

What if my job is seasonal and I earn above the SGA limit only in certain months?

Each month is counted separately. If you earn above the SGA limit in three months of the year and below it in the other nine, only those three months count as trial work months or affect your Extended may be able to access Period. The other nine months do not count against your work incentives.