The 2025 SGA amount is $1,550 per month for non-blind beneficiaries and $2,590 for blind beneficiaries

The Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) threshold is the monthly earnings limit that determines whether Social Security considers you to be working at a level that disqualifies you from SSDI. If you earn more than the SGA amount in a month, Social Security will assume you are working and may stop or reduce your benefits, regardless of your medical condition.

Social Security raises the SGA threshold each year based on changes in the national average wage index. For 2025, the threshold increased from $1,550 to $1,550 for non-blind workers (no change from 2024) and from $2,590 to $2,590 for blind workers (also no change). The reason for no increase is that the national average wage index did not rise enough to trigger an adjustment under Social Security's formula.

This threshold applies to your gross earnings—the money you make before taxes or deductions. It does not matter whether you work full-time or part-time, for one employer or many, or whether you are self-employed. If your monthly earnings cross the SGA line, the work-related rules change.

Key Takeaways

  • In 2025, you can earn up to $1,550 per month without automatically triggering a work-related benefit reduction if you are a non-blind SSDI beneficiary.
  • Blind beneficiaries have a higher SGA threshold of $2,590 per month in 2025, reflecting the higher costs of working with a visual impairment.
  • The SGA threshold is based on gross monthly earnings and applies whether you work for an employer or are self-employed.
  • Exceeding SGA does not when ready stop your benefits; Social Security will review your work activity and may enter a trial work period or extended period of may be able to access if you may have access to.
  • Work incentives such as the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) and Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) can reduce your countable earnings below the SGA threshold.

How Social Security measures your earnings against SGA

Social Security counts your gross monthly earnings—the total you earn before any withholding, taxes, or deductions. If you are paid weekly or bi-weekly, Social Security converts that to a monthly figure by averaging your pay over a 12-month period. Self-employed income is also averaged over 12 months and includes gross receipts minus business expenses.

The month you cross the SGA threshold does not automatically end your benefits. Instead, Social Security looks at whether you are engaging in substantial gainful activity as a whole. This means they examine whether your work is substantial (you are working regularly and earning above SGA) and gainful (you are earning money). A single month above SGA may not trigger a benefit change if your pattern of work does not show you are consistently working at that level.

However, if you are consistently earning above SGA month after month, Social Security will determine that you are no longer disabled for work purposes and will move you into a work incentive period or end your benefits. The exact outcome depends on which work incentive rules explore to your situation.

Trial Work Period and Extended Period of may be able to access

If you return to work and earn above SGA, you may enter a Trial Work Period (TWP). During the TWP, you can earn any amount and keep your full SSDI benefit for up to nine months in a rolling 60-month window. These nine months do not have to be consecutive, and Social Security does not count months in which you earn less than $240 (the 2025 TWP threshold) toward your nine-month total.

After your nine TWP months are used, you enter the Extended Period of may be able to access (EPE), which lasts 36 months. During the EPE, you keep your SSDI benefit in any month you earn less than the current SGA threshold. If you earn SGA or more in a month during the EPE, you lose your benefit for that month only—you do not lose it permanently. Once the EPE ends, if you are still earning above SGA, your benefits stop.

These two periods give you a total of up to 60 months to test your ability to work without losing benefits entirely. Many beneficiaries use this time to build work history, test job accommodations, or increase their earnings gradually.

Work incentives that can lower your countable earnings

Two major work incentives allow you to reduce the amount of earnings Social Security counts toward the SGA threshold: Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) and the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS).

IRWE covers costs you pay to work because of your disability—items like medications, medical equipment, therapy, transportation to work, or attendant care. If you pay $500 per month for a personal assistant to help you at work, Social Security subtracts that $500 from your gross earnings before comparing your income to SGA. You must document these expenses and show they are necessary for you to work.

PASS is a more complex tool that lets you set aside income and resources for a specific work goal—such as education, training, or starting a business. Money set aside under a PASS plan does not count as income for SSDI purposes. For example, if you earn $2,000 per month and have an approved PASS that sets aside $600 toward vocational training, Social Security counts only $1,400 toward your SGA threshold. PASS requires a written plan approved by Social Security before you begin setting money aside.

Both IRWE and PASS must be reported to Social Security and require documentation. They are not automatic; you must request them and provide proof of the expenses or the plan.

Why the 2025 threshold did not increase

The SGA threshold is tied to the national average wage index, a measure of total wages paid in the United States. Social Security calculates the index each year and adjusts SGA if the index rises by a certain percentage. In 2025, the national average wage index did not increase enough to trigger an adjustment, so the SGA threshold remained at $1,550 for non-blind workers and $2,590 for blind workers.

This does not happen every year. In some years, the index rises and SGA increases; in others, it stays flat. The last time SGA increased was in 2024, when it rose from $1,470 to $1,550 for non-blind beneficiaries. Before that, there were several years of no change during periods of slower wage growth.

A flat SGA threshold means your earnings limit for 2025 is the same as 2024. If you were earning just below $1,550 in 2024 and your pay increased slightly in 2025, you may now cross the SGA line, even though the threshold itself did not move.

What happens if you earn above SGA

Earning above SGA does not when ready stop your SSDI benefits. Social Security's first step is to determine whether you are in a Trial Work Period. If you are, you keep your full benefit regardless of how much you earn. If you are not in a TWP, Social Security checks whether you are in an Extended Period of may be able to access. If you are, you lose your benefit only for the months you earn SGA or more; you keep it for months you earn below SGA.

If you are past both the TWP and EPE, earning above SGA means your benefits will stop. However, you have the right to request a Continuing Disability Review (CDR) if your condition has worsened or if you believe you cannot continue working. You also have the right to appeal any benefit termination decision.

Many beneficiaries who return to work successfully use the TWP and EPE to transition off benefits gradually while building work history and income. Others use work incentives like IRWE or PASS to keep their earnings below SGA while they pursue education or training.

Self-employment and SGA

If you are self-employed, Social Security measures your SGA using net profit—your gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses. You must keep records of all income and expenses and report them to Social Security each year.

Self-employed income is averaged over 12 months. If you start a business and have high expenses in the first months, your net profit may stay below SGA even if your gross receipts are high. However, once your business is established and profitable, Social Security will average your earnings over the full 12-month period to determine whether you are working at a substantial gainful level.

A PASS plan is often useful for self-employed beneficiaries because it lets you set aside business income for business development, equipment, or training without counting it as earnings. This can help you keep your countable income below SGA while you build your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does earning $1,549 in one month mean I keep my benefits for that month?

If you are in a Trial Work Period, yes—you keep your full benefit regardless of earnings. If you are in an Extended Period of may be able to access, yes—you keep your benefit for any month you earn below SGA. If you are past both periods, earning below SGA keeps your benefit for that month, but Social Security looks at your overall work pattern to decide whether you are working at a substantial gainful level.

Can I use IRWE or PASS to reduce my earnings below SGA?

Yes. IRWE subtracts disability-related work expenses from your gross earnings before Social Security compares your income to SGA. PASS lets you set aside income for a specific work goal without counting it as earnings. Both require documentation and approval from Social Security before you use them.

What if I earn above SGA for just one month?

A single month above SGA does not automatically end your benefits. Social Security looks at whether you are working at a substantial gainful level overall. However, if you are in an Extended Period of may be able to access, you lose your benefit for that one month. If you are past the EPE, one month above SGA may signal the start of a benefit termination if your earnings pattern shows you are working consistently.

Does the SGA threshold change during the year?

No. The SGA threshold is set once per year, effective January 1. The 2025 threshold of $1,550 (non-blind) and $2,590 (blind) applies for the entire year. It will be reviewed again in January 2026 based on the national average wage index.

If I am blind, why is my SGA threshold higher?

Social Security recognizes that blind individuals often face higher costs related to work—such as transportation, specialized equipment, or reader services. The higher SGA threshold for blind beneficiaries ($2,590 in 2025) reflects these additional expenses and gives blind workers more room to earn before benefits are affected.