If you have a traditional job making $35,000 a year, you pay 6.2% of your salary or $2,170 annually in Social Security taxes. That number is then matched by your employer.
Those totals are straightforward. Figuring out how much you will get back when you are ready to retire is a different story.
The size of your check will be based on your income from your working years, the year you were born and your age when you decide to start receiving benefits.
Today, Social Security represents about 33% of all income for older Americans. The average retired worker receives nearly $1,500 a month in benefits.
Remember: Social Security was not envisioned as your sole source of money for retirement, and the totals are always changing.
How much should you expect from Social Security if you make $35,000 a year? Watch this video for a breakdown of how much you will get and how your monthly benefit will be calculated.
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Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Acorns.
