SSDI Pay Chart 2027: Average Disability Benefits and PIA by Earnings
SSA's 2027 COLA fact sheet estimates the average monthly benefit for all disabled workers at $1,701 after the 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment, for benefits payable in January 2027, up from $1,642 before it. SSA announced the COLA on October 14, 2026. The tables below show SSA's averages, the 2027 earnings limits for disability benefits, and a chart of the primary insurance amount (PIA) that SSA's 2027 formula gives for different average indexed monthly earnings (AIME).
Maintained by Archie Chang · Reviewed November 2, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Average disability benefits after the 2027 COLA
SSA's 2027 COLA fact sheet (see Social Security COLA 2027) lists these as estimated average monthly benefits payable in January 2027:
| Type of beneficiary | Before 3.6% COLA | After 3.6% COLA |
|---|---|---|
| All disabled workers | $1,642 | $1,701 |
| Disabled worker, spouse and one or more children | $2,970 | $3,077 |
What SSA was paying in September 2026
SSA's Monthly Statistical Snapshot for September 2026, released in October 2026, reports the average benefit actually being paid that month. It is a different measure from the fact sheet's estimate, so the two numbers differ.
| Type of beneficiary | Beneficiaries (thousands) | Average monthly benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Disabled workers | 6,959 | $1,636.47 |
| Spouses of disabled workers | 87 | $464.11 |
| Children of disabled workers | 892 | $530.41 |
The snapshot page, as captured October 21, 2026, was the September 2026 edition.
Earnings limits for disability benefits in 2027
The amounts below are the ones on SSA's 2027 COLA fact sheet; they are the same figures the substantial gainful activity page shows. SSA decides whether work is substantial gainful activity from the full facts, and its decision governs.
| Monthly amount | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Substantial gainful activity (SGA), non-blind | $1,690 | $1,770 |
| Substantial gainful activity (SGA), blind | $2,830 | $2,950 |
| Trial work period (TWP) month | $1,210 | $1,270 |
How SSA works out a disability benefit
The regulation for the disability benefit amount says:
“Your monthly benefit is equal to the primary insurance amount (PIA). This amount is computed under the rules in subpart C of this part as if it was an old-age benefit, and as if you were 62 years of age at the beginning of the 5-month waiting period mentioned in § 404.315(a). […]”
The PIA comes from average indexed monthly earnings. SSA describes that average this way:
“In this method, your social security earnings after 1950 are indexed, as described in paragraph (d) of this section, then averaged over the period of time you can reasonably have been expected to have worked in employment or self-employment covered by social security.”
SSA's PIA formula page lists the 2027 formula, for a person who first becomes eligible for disability insurance benefits in 2027:
“For an individual who first becomes eligible for old-age insurance benefits or disability insurance benefits in 2027, or who dies in 2027 before becoming eligible for benefits, his/her PIA will be the sum of: (a) 90 percent of the first $1,340 of his/her average indexed monthly earnings, plus (b) 32 percent of his/her average indexed monthly earnings over $1,340 and through $8,077, plus (c) 15 percent of his/her average indexed monthly earnings over $8,077.”
The bend points are $1,340 and $8,077 for 2027, and SSA states the rounding:
“We round this amount to the next lower multiple of $.10 if it is not already a multiple of $.10.”
The bend points depend on the year of eligibility. This table is SSA's list of the dollar amounts in the PIA formula for recent years:
| Year of eligibility | First bend point | Second bend point |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $960 | $5,785 |
| 2021 | $996 | $6,002 |
| 2022 | $1,024 | $6,172 |
| 2023 | $1,115 | $6,721 |
| 2024 | $1,174 | $7,078 |
| 2025 | $1,226 | $7,391 |
| 2026 | $1,286 | $7,749 |
| 2027 | $1,340 | $8,077 |
SSDI benefit chart: PIA by average indexed monthly earnings, 2027 formula
This chart is arithmetic using SSA's formula and the 2027 bend points, for a worker first eligible in 2027. Each row takes a whole-dollar AIME, applies the three percentages to the three portions, adds them and rounds the total down to the dime, as SSA states. The AIME values run from $500 up to the AIME at which the arithmetic first reaches $4,188, the maximum monthly benefit SSA lists for a worker retiring at full retirement age in 2027.
| AIME | 90% of the first $1,340 | 32% over $1,340 through $8,077 | 15% over $8,077 | PIA, rounded down to the dime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $450.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $450.00 |
| $1,000 | $900.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $900.00 |
| $1,340 | $1,206.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,206.00 |
| $1,500 | $1,206.00 | $51.20 | $0.00 | $1,257.20 |
| $2,000 | $1,206.00 | $211.20 | $0.00 | $1,417.20 |
| $2,500 | $1,206.00 | $371.20 | $0.00 | $1,577.20 |
| $3,000 | $1,206.00 | $531.20 | $0.00 | $1,737.20 |
| $3,500 | $1,206.00 | $691.20 | $0.00 | $1,897.20 |
| $4,000 | $1,206.00 | $851.20 | $0.00 | $2,057.20 |
| $4,500 | $1,206.00 | $1,011.20 | $0.00 | $2,217.20 |
| $5,000 | $1,206.00 | $1,171.20 | $0.00 | $2,377.20 |
| $5,500 | $1,206.00 | $1,331.20 | $0.00 | $2,537.20 |
| $6,000 | $1,206.00 | $1,491.20 | $0.00 | $2,697.20 |
| $6,500 | $1,206.00 | $1,651.20 | $0.00 | $2,857.20 |
| $7,000 | $1,206.00 | $1,811.20 | $0.00 | $3,017.20 |
| $7,500 | $1,206.00 | $1,971.20 | $0.00 | $3,177.20 |
| $8,000 | $1,206.00 | $2,131.20 | $0.00 | $3,337.20 |
| $8,077 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $0.00 | $3,361.80 |
| $8,500 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $63.45 | $3,425.20 |
| $9,000 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $138.45 | $3,500.20 |
| $9,500 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $213.45 | $3,575.20 |
| $10,000 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $288.45 | $3,650.20 |
| $10,500 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $363.45 | $3,725.20 |
| $11,000 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $438.45 | $3,800.20 |
| $11,500 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $513.45 | $3,875.20 |
| $12,000 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $588.45 | $3,950.20 |
| $12,500 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $663.45 | $4,025.20 |
| $13,000 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $738.45 | $4,100.20 |
| $13,500 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $813.45 | $4,175.20 |
| $13,585 | $1,206.00 | $2,155.84 | $826.20 | $4,188.00 |
The last row, $13,585, is the smallest whole-dollar AIME at which this arithmetic gives at least $4,188. It is not an SSA figure.
What the chart leaves out
- The actual AIME. SSA computes the actual AIME from the earnings record, as the regulation quoted above describes, not from a round number.
- Cost-of-living adjustments. The chart is the PIA at the start. For someone who became disabled or eligible in an earlier year, the regulation adds later increases to the PIA:
“(d) Adjustment of your primary insurance amount when entitlement to benefits occurs in a year after attainment of age 62, disability or death. If you (or your survivors) do not become entitled to benefits in the same year you reach age 62, become disabled, or die before age 62, we compute your primary insurance amount by— (1) Computing your average indexed monthly earnings as described in § 404.211; (2) Applying to your average indexed monthly earnings the benefit formula for the year in which you reach age 62, or become disabled or die before age 62; and (3) Applying to the primary insurance amount all automatic cost-of-living and ad hoc increases in primary insurance amounts that have gone into effect in or after the year you reached age 62, became disabled, or died before age 62.”
20 CFR (eCFR, as of October 29, 2026), § 404.212(d) - Offsets. The regulation says a disability benefit may be reduced for some other payments, such as workers' compensation:
“Your monthly benefit amount may be reduced if you receive workers' compensation or public disability payments before you attain full retirement age (as defined in § 404.409) (see § 404.408).”
20 CFR (eCFR, as of October 29, 2026), § 404.317 - The family maximum. The chart shows the worker's PIA only. The regulation says:
“The Social Security Act limits the amount of monthly benefits that can be paid for any month based on the earnings of an insured individual. If the total benefits to which all persons are entitled on one earnings record exceed a maximum amount prescribed by law, then those benefits must be reduced so that they do not exceed that maximum.”
20 CFR (eCFR, as of October 29, 2026), § 404.403(a)(1)
Is there a maximum SSDI benefit?
SSA's 2027 COLA fact sheet lists a maximum of $4,188 a month for a worker retiring at full retirement age and does not list a separate maximum for disabled workers. The page therefore shows no SSDI maximum of its own; the table above only shows where the formula arithmetic reaches SSA's $4,188 figure.
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
What is the average SSDI payment in 2027?
SSA's 2027 COLA fact sheet estimates the average monthly benefit for all disabled workers at $1,701 after the 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment, up from $1,642 before it, for benefits payable in January 2027. It is an average across all disabled workers, not an amount any one person is owed.
How does SSA work out a disability benefit?
Under 20 CFR 404.317, a disabled worker's monthly benefit is equal to the primary insurance amount (PIA), computed as if it were an old-age benefit and as if the worker were 62 at the beginning of the 5-month waiting period. SSA's PIA formula page lists the 2027 formula: 90 percent of the first $1,340 of average indexed monthly earnings, 32 percent of the amount from $1,340 through $8,077, and 15 percent of the amount over $8,077.
Does the PIA chart on this site show my SSDI amount?
No. The chart is arithmetic with SSA's 2027 PIA formula for a worker first eligible in 2027, starting from an average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) figure. SSA computes the actual AIME from the earnings record, and 20 CFR 404.317 and 404.408 describe reductions such as workers' compensation or public disability payments. The family maximum and cost-of-living adjustments are not in the chart.
How much can a person earn and still get SSDI in 2027?
SSA's 2027 COLA fact sheet lists substantial gainful activity (SGA) at $1,770 a month for non-blind workers and $2,950 a month for blind workers, and the trial work period amount at $1,270 a month. SSA decides whether work is SGA from the full facts, and its decision governs.
Is there a maximum SSDI benefit for 2027?
SSA's 2027 COLA fact sheet lists a maximum of $4,188 a month for a worker retiring at full retirement age and does not list a separate maximum for disabled workers. The Social Security Administration's Monthly Statistical Snapshot for September 2026 shows an actual average of $1,636.47 for 6,959 thousand disabled workers.
Why do the fact sheet and the Monthly Statistical Snapshot show different averages?
They measure different things. The 2027 COLA fact sheet gives SSA's estimated average benefit for all disabled workers payable in January 2027 ($1,642 before and $1,701 after the COLA). The Monthly Statistical Snapshot for September 2026 reports the average benefit actually being paid that month, $1,636.47, to disabled workers.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below or from the shipped FedRateCalc pages named in the text. SSA's pages were read from Internet Archive copies; the capture date is shown with each one. Each document is saved as a text file with its source address and SHA-256 in this site's repository.
- SSA: 2027 COLA fact sheet (Internet Archive copy, captured October 25, 2026)
- SSA: Monthly Statistical Snapshot, September 2026 (Internet Archive copy, captured October 21, 2026)
- SSA: PIA formula bend points (Internet Archive copy, captured October 17, 2026)
- SSA: Benefit formula bend points by year (Internet Archive copy, captured October 24, 2026)
- eCFR: 20 CFR 404.211, .212, .317, .408 (eCFR text as of October 29, 2026)
- eCFR: 20 CFR 404.102, .335, .337, .338, .342, .350, .370, .373, .390, .403, .407, .409, .410 (eCFR text as of October 29, 2026)