Taxes, Cash & Savings · Surprise rank #34
Under 22 and on SSI? Earn Up to $2,410 a Month Before These Wages Count in 2026
The SSI Student Earned Income Exclusion lets qualifying students under age 22 exclude a substantial amount of job earnings before Social Security counts them for SSI.
Who
SSI recipients under age 22 who are working and regularly attending school or qualifying training.
What to do
Start here: Report the job and school attendance to Social Security and ask that the Student Earned Income Exclusion be applied.
Eligibility: The person must be under 22 and meet Social Security's 'regularly attending school' rules.
What you get
For 2026, Social Security can exclude up to $2,410 of earnings in a month, up to a $9,730 annual maximum, before applying other SSI income exclusions.
Benefit: More earned income can be kept without reducing SSI under the normal countable-income rules.
Possible value: Up to $9,730 of earned income can be excluded in calendar year 2026, subject to the $2,410 monthly cap.
Good to know
Important: The $2,410 is a monthly exclusion ceiling, not extra money from Social Security; the yearly exclusion stops after $9,730 in 2026.
Availability: Active; 2026 limits
Why people miss it: Working students and families may assume every dollar of wages immediately reduces SSI.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026