In 2026, earnings up to $184,500 are subject to Social Security payroll taxes.
As of Monday, individuals with $1 million in annual wage and salary earnings have stopped paying into the program for this calendar year, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
Wealthier individuals stop paying into the program even sooner. Billionaire tech magnate Elon Musk may have paid all of his Social Security taxes for the year on New Year’s Day, depending on how his income is taxed, labor economist Teresa Ghilarducci has estimated.
Together, Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes are known as FICA, named for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act.
Workers and employers each pay 6.2% of wages toward Social Security through payroll taxes. They also each contribute 1.45% for Medicare — and unlike Social Security, Medicare taxes apply to all earnings with no income cap. There’s also a 0.9% Medicare surcharge for high earners.
