Retirement Social Security

7 Ways to Earn More in Retirement Without Losing Your Social Security

These smart income strategies can help you earn more income without shrinking benefits.

By Stacy Garrels

Edited by Andrea Basse

Updated Dec. 22, 2025

Collecting Social Security but need little extra breathing room in your monthly budget? You're not alone. Plenty of younger retirees drawing Social Security continue to work for purpose, connection, and to generate additional retirement income as an added buffer before reaching their full retirement age (FRA).

But there's a catch. Social Security doesn't necessarily reward this extra industry.

Some income can temporarily reduce your Social Security benefits if you haven't reached FRA, but there are workarounds. Not every dollar counts against you — and many of the best money-making ideas involve income the SSA ignores entirely.

Below are smart ways to boost your retirement income without accidentally shrinking the benefit you worked decades to earn.

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Understand how the Social Security earnings test works first

Before you decide how to supplement your benefits, you need to know what triggers a reduction.

The SSA only counts earned income: wages, salaries, or self-employment. Earn above annual limits before your FRA (age 67 for those born after 1960), and the agency temporarily withholds part of your benefit.

For every $2 earned, the SSA withholds $1 in benefits, with limits capped at $23,400 in 2025 and $24,480 in 2026.

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Freelance or consult

For those who spent decades building expertise, consulting can be a flexible way to earn money on your terms.

SSA only counts net profit, not gross revenue, thus legitimate deductions such as business supplies, travel, software, or home-office expenses can keep you under the earnings limit.

Many retirees also time projects intentionally, taking larger work before claiming benefits or spreading income across tax years to avoid reductions.

Consider a part-time job

If you want a consistent paycheck without running a business, part-time work can be ideal.

Roles with retailers, schools, libraries, medical offices, or municipal programs often offer stable schedules and social interaction.

As long as your earnings stay below the annual SSA limit, your benefit remains untouched. Many retirees find part-time work the simplest way to add income without juggling invoices, write-offs, or fluctuating workloads.

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Secure a seasonal job

Seasonal jobs, such as holiday retail, tax preparation, summer tourism, or national park staffing, allow you to earn money in concentrated blocks of time.

Because you control which months you work, it's easier to avoid exceeding the annual limit.

The SSA's "grace year" rule adds even more flexibility. The rule applies a monthly limit during your first year of retirement, letting you earn more in earlier months while still receiving full benefits later in the year as long as you stay under each month's threshold.

Make extra money from a hobby

Retirement is often the first time people can turn a lifelong passion into income. Woodworking, crafting, photography, baking, writing, gardening, or restoring furniture can all become small businesses with minimal overhead.

Like consulting, only profits count toward the earnings limit. If you sell $12,000 worth of goods but spend $7,000 on materials, tools, and other business expenses, then only $5,000 counts.

After you reach full retirement age, you can expand as much as you want without affecting your Social Security check.

Think about a "lazy" side hustles

If you'd prefer not to take on active work, many passive income sources don't count toward the earnings test.

There are many passive ways to bring in extra income:

Renting a spare room or spare garage spot
Earning interest from peer-to-peer lending platforms
Licensing photos or other downloadables
Selling e-books or digital templates
Making small commissions (affiliate earnings) from hobby blogs

Because these sources are considered unearned income, they remain outside the SSA's calculations even if they grow substantially.

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Start investing strategically

Dividends, interest, REIT payouts, and capital gains don't count toward the earnings test, making investment income one of the cleanest ways to boost retirement cash flow.

Some DIY investors often use platforms like Fidelity, Vanguard, Schwab, or M1 Finance to manage low-cost diversified portfolios.

Most prefer working with a financial advisor or fee-only planner to adjust allocations, generate predictable income, and understand the tax implications of withdrawals.

For many retirees, investment income becomes a foundational source of cash flow that doesn't interfere with Social Security.

Build steady income from a CD ladder

CDs have regained popularity as interest rates have climbed, and CD income doesn't count toward the earnings limit.

A CD ladder provides guaranteed returns, FDIC insurance, and rolling access to cash as each CD matures. This allows retirees to earn interest without tying up all their savings in one long-term deposit.

Many combine CD ladders with short-term bond funds or high-yield savings accounts to create a stable, low-risk income stream with minimal effort.

Bottom line

Supplementing Social Security is absolutely possible as long as you understand which income streams count and which don't.

Freelancing, part-time work, seasonal jobs, hobby income, passive side hustles, investing, and investment products all offer ways to earn more without losing benefits — and once you reach full retirement age, the restrictions disappear altogether.

If you're unsure how to structure your income, a financial advisor or tax professional can help you build a retirement plan that keeps your Social Security intact while still giving you extra financial breathing room. Additionally, they can help you strategize charitable gifting and estate planning in the most tax-advantaged ways.

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Author Details

Stacy Garrels

Stacy, a writer for FinanceBuzz, enjoys writing about fintech, consumer deals, the side hustle economy, and random tomfoolery. She's personally tried more than 100 different gigs, including being an Uber driver for one afternoon.