Updated 30 March 2026
Social Security Tax Rate History
From 1% in 1937 to 6.2% today. Complete history of OASDI tax rates, self-employment rates, and wage base limits for every year since Social Security began.
Key Milestones
1937
Social Security tax begins at 1% employee / 1% employer on first $3,000 of wages. Maximum annual tax: $30.
1951
Self-employment tax introduced at 2.25% for self-employed workers, covering 75% of the combined employee/employer rate.
1984
Self-employed rate equalized to match the full combined rate (11.40%). Previously, self-employed paid roughly 75% of the combined rate.
1990
Employee rate set at 6.2%, where it remains today. This was part of a gradual increase from 5.70% in 1985-1986 to 6.06% in 1988-1989 to 6.20% in 1990.
2011-2012
Temporary payroll tax holiday reduced the employee rate to 4.2% (a 2% cut) as economic stimulus. The employer rate stayed at 6.2%. Self-employed rate dropped to 10.4%.
2023
Wage base jumped $13,200 (from $147,000 to $160,200), the largest dollar increase in program history, driven by post-pandemic wage growth.
How Rates Have Changed
The Social Security tax rate has increased 20 times since the program began in 1937. The original rate was just 1% for both employee and employer (2% combined). Congress raised rates periodically, with most increases happening between 1950 and 1990.
The current 6.2% employee rate has been in place since 1990, making it the longest period without a permanent rate change in the program's history. The only modification was the temporary 2% cut in 2011-2012, which was not renewed after 2012.
While the rate itself has been stable, the wage base has continued to climb. In 1990, the wage base was $51,300. By 2026, it is $168,600, a 229% increase. This means the maximum annual Social Security tax has risen from $3,181 to $10,453 over the same period, even though the rate stayed at 6.2%.
Complete Rate Table: 1937 to 2026
Asterisk (*) indicates the 2011-2012 payroll tax holiday when the employee rate was temporarily reduced by 2%. Self-employment tax was not available until 1951. Ranges indicate years with the same rate.
| Year | Employee | Employer | Self-Employed | Wage Base | Max EE Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $168,600 | $10,453 |
| 2025 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $168,600 | $10,453 |
| 2024 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $168,600 | $10,453 |
| 2023 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $160,200 | $9,932 |
| 2022 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $147,000 | $9,114 |
| 2021 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $142,800 | $8,854 |
| 2020 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $137,700 | $8,537 |
| 2019 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $132,900 | $8,240 |
| 2018 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $128,400 | $7,961 |
| 2017 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $127,200 | $7,886 |
| 2016 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $118,500 | $7,347 |
| 2015 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $118,500 | $7,347 |
| 2014 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $117,000 | $7,254 |
| 2013 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $113,700 | $7,049 |
| 2012 | 4.20%* | 6.20% | 10.40%* | $110,100 | $4,624 |
| 2011 | 4.20%* | 6.20% | 10.40%* | $106,800 | $4,486 |
| 2010 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $106,800 | $6,622 |
| 2009 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $106,800 | $6,622 |
| 2008 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $102,000 | $6,324 |
| 2007 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $97,500 | $6,045 |
| 2006 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $94,200 | $5,840 |
| 2005 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $90,000 | $5,580 |
| 2004 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $87,900 | $5,450 |
| 2003 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $87,000 | $5,394 |
| 2002 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $84,900 | $5,264 |
| 2001 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $80,400 | $4,985 |
| 2000 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $76,200 | $4,724 |
| 1999 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $72,600 | $4,501 |
| 1998 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $68,400 | $4,241 |
| 1997 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $65,400 | $4,055 |
| 1996 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $62,700 | $3,887 |
| 1995 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $61,200 | $3,794 |
| 1994 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $60,600 | $3,757 |
| 1993 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $57,600 | $3,571 |
| 1992 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $55,500 | $3,441 |
| 1991 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $53,400 | $3,311 |
| 1990 | 6.20% | 6.20% | 12.40% | $51,300 | $3,181 |
| 1989 | 6.06% | 6.06% | 12.12% | $48,000 | $2,909 |
| 1988 | 6.06% | 6.06% | 12.12% | $45,000 | $2,727 |
| 1987 | 5.70% | 5.70% | 11.40% | $43,800 | $2,497 |
| 1986 | 5.70% | 5.70% | 11.40% | $42,000 | $2,394 |
| 1985 | 5.70% | 5.70% | 11.40% | $39,600 | $2,257 |
| 1984 | 5.70% | 5.70% | 11.40% | $37,800 | $2,155 |
| 1983 | 5.40% | 5.40% | 8.05% | $35,700 | $1,928 |
| 1982 | 5.40% | 5.40% | 8.05% | $32,400 | $1,750 |
| 1981 | 5.35% | 5.35% | 8.00% | $29,700 | $1,589 |
| 1980 | 5.08% | 5.08% | 7.05% | $25,900 | $1,316 |
| 1979 | 5.08% | 5.08% | 7.05% | $22,900 | $1,163 |
| 1978 | 5.05% | 5.05% | 7.00% | $17,700 | $894 |
| 1977 | 4.95% | 4.95% | 7.00% | $16,500 | $817 |
| 1976 | 4.95% | 4.95% | 7.00% | $15,300 | $757 |
| 1975 | 4.95% | 4.95% | 7.00% | $14,100 | $698 |
| 1974 | 4.95% | 4.95% | 7.00% | $13,200 | $653 |
| 1973 | 4.85% | 4.85% | 7.00% | $10,800 | $524 |
| 1972 | 4.60% | 4.60% | 6.90% | $9,000 | $414 |
| 1971 | 4.60% | 4.60% | 6.90% | $7,800 | $359 |
| 1970 | 4.20% | 4.20% | 6.30% | $7,800 | $328 |
| 1969 | 4.20% | 4.20% | 6.30% | $7,800 | $328 |
| 1968 | 3.80% | 3.80% | 5.80% | $7,800 | $296 |
| 1966-67 | 3.85% | 3.85% | 5.80% | $6,600 | $254 |
| 1963-65 | 3.625% | 3.625% | 5.40% | $4,800 | $174 |
| 1962 | 3.125% | 3.125% | 4.70% | $4,800 | $150 |
| 1960-61 | 3.00% | 3.00% | 4.50% | $4,800 | $144 |
| 1959 | 2.50% | 2.50% | 3.75% | $4,800 | $120 |
| 1957-58 | 2.25% | 2.25% | 3.375% | $4,200 | $95 |
| 1954-56 | 2.00% | 2.00% | 3.00% | $4,200 | $84 |
| 1951-53 | 1.50% | 1.50% | 2.25% | $3,600 | $54 |
| 1950 | 1.50% | 1.50% | N/A | $3,000 | $45 |
| 1949 | 1.00% | 1.00% | N/A | $3,000 | $30 |
| 1943-48 | 1.00% | 1.00% | N/A | $3,000 | $30 |
| 1940-42 | 1.00% | 1.00% | N/A | $3,000 | $30 |
| 1937-39 | 1.00% | 1.00% | N/A | $3,000 | $30 |
Data sourced from the Social Security Administration (SSA): Tax Rates 1937-Current and Contribution and Benefit Base. Max employee tax figures are rounded to the nearest dollar.
What About the Future?
The Social Security Board of Trustees projects the combined Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) trust funds will be depleted around 2035. If Congress takes no action before then, incoming payroll tax revenue would cover approximately 83% of scheduled benefits.
Proposed solutions include raising the tax rate (from 6.2% to around 7.75%), eliminating or raising the wage base cap, reducing benefits, raising the retirement age, or some combination. No changes have been enacted as of 2026, but bipartisan proposals are regularly introduced in Congress.