Population Fact Sheets
Chart Descriptions - Taxable Maximum Earners
Released: April 2012Next expected update: Spring 2014
| Year | Percent of covered workers |
|---|---|
| 1937 | 3.13 |
| 1940 | 3.38 |
| 1945 | 13.71 |
| 1950 | 28.86 |
| 1951 | 24.55 |
| 1952 | 27.87 |
| 1953 | 31.25 |
| 1954 | 31.65 |
| 1955 | 25.62 |
| 1956 | 28.45 |
| 1957 | 29.88 |
| 1958 | 30.57 |
| 1959 | 26.66 |
| 1960 | 28.00 |
| 1961 | 29.20 |
| 1962 | 31.17 |
| 1963 | 32.53 |
| 1964 | 34.50 |
| 1965 | 36.11 |
| 1966 | 24.23 |
| 1967 | 26.36 |
| 1968 | 21.39 |
| 1969 | 24.52 |
| 1970 | 26.02 |
| 1971 | 28.29 |
| 1972 | 25.01 |
| 1973 | 20.28 |
| 1974 | 15.11 |
| 1975 | 15.04 |
| 1976 | 14.94 |
| 1977 | 14.84 |
| 1978 | 15.42 |
| 1979 | 9.97 |
| 1980 | 8.76 |
| 1981 | 7.61 |
| 1982 | 7.09 |
| 1983 | 6.28 |
| 1984 | 6.38 |
| 1985 | 6.48 |
| 1986 | 6.20 |
| 1987 | 6.16 |
| 1988 | 6.55 |
| 1989 | 6.16 |
| 1990 | 5.67 |
| 1991 | 5.63 |
| 1992 | 5.72 |
| 1993 | 5.60 |
| 1994 | 5.44 |
| 1995 | 5.81 |
| 1996 | 6.05 |
| 1997 | 6.17 |
| 1998 | 6.30 |
| 1999 | 6.09 |
| 2000 | 6.18 |
| 2001 | 5.93 |
| 2002 | 5.43 |
| 2003 | 5.50 |
| 2004 | 5.90 |
| 2005 | 6.09 |
| 2006 | 6.05 |
| 2007 | 6.14 |
| 2008 | 5.98 |
| 2009 | 5.42 |
| SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Annual Statistical Supplement 2011, Table 4.B1. | |
| In-chart note: Larger fluctuations occurred before 1975 when Congression indexed the taxable threshold to changes in the national average wage index. | |
| Five-year birth cohort (1930 = born between 1926 and 1930) | Percent of covered workers |
|---|---|
| 1930 | 48.7 |
| 1935 | 45.6 |
| 1940 | 42.5 |
| 1945 | 38.3 |
| 1950 | 30.7 |
| 1955 | 22.9 |
| 1960 | 20.3 |
| 1965 | 19.1 |
| 1970 | 19.0 |
| 1975 | 17.7 |
| 1980 | 17.2 |
| 1985 | 17.3 |
| 1990 | 16.8 |
| 1995 | 18.1 |
| 2000 | 17.9 |
| 2005 | 17.9 |
| 2010 | 17.7 |
| 2015 | 18.5 |
| 2020 | 18.6 |
| SOURCE: Modeling Income in the Near Term, Version 6 (MINT6) microsimulation model. | |