Data updated April 3, 2025

What does the Social Security Administration do?

Updates published annually

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is an independent executive branch agency responsible for administering Social Security, a program that provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to eligible people. Its functions include managing the distribution of monthly payments to beneficiaries, enrolling Medicare recipients, and overseeing the issuance of Social Security numbers and cards. It was established in 1935 as part of the Social Security Act.

In FY 2024,

$1.5T

was spent by the Social Security Administration

In FY 2024,

22.4%

of federal spending was by the Social Security Administration

How much does the Social Security Administration spend?

The Social Security Administration spent $1.52 trillion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 22.4% of the $6.78 trillion in overall federal spending. The department ranked 2 among federal agencies in total spending.

The Social Security Administration accounted for 22.4% of all federal spending in FY 2024.

Share of SSA net spending compared to the top ten highest spending agencies in FY 2024

Federal spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Social Security Administration’s federal spending has increased from $486.6 billion in 1980 to $1.52 trillion in 2024.

The Social Security Administration’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by SSA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Social Security Administration's spending has increased 212.3%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.

The department’s spending grew more than overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget increased. In 2024, SSA accounted for 22.4% of all federal spending. That’s 3.2 percentage points lower than 2014 and 1.3 points higher than in 1980.

Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Social Security Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to SSA, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.

In FY 2024, the Social Security Administration transferred less than 0.05% of its total spending to states and local governments.

The chart below outlines all SSA spending.

How did the Social Security Administration spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to SSA, FY 2024

Read related content about the Social Security Administration:

Social Security beneficiaries and funding: The largest public program in the US is supporting nearly 68 million people per month in 2024.
How many people receive government assistance: The Institute of Education Sciences funds education research and disseminates findings and statistics about education in the US.

How many people work for the Social Security Administration?

Some 58,000 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Social Security Administration as of September 2024. This is 16.5% fewer people than the department staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Social Security Administration has decreased 16.5% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for SSA, September 2010–2024

SSA accounts for 2.5% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. SSA constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 than in 2010 (3.4%).

While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Social Security Administration’s share of the workforce (2.5%) is smaller than its share of the budget (22.4%).

Who leads the Social Security Administration?

SSA is led by a commissioner. They are appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate, and then sworn into office. The SSA is an independent agency, meaning it operates within the executive branch but outside the president's cabinet, giving it some level of autonomy. The central office, located in Baltimore, leads a field organization of about 1,230 offices across 10 regions.

In addition to benefits, the agency is responsible for issuing Social Security numbers and cards.

Keep exploring

Enter some text...

Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

Office of Personnel Management
FedScope
Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury
Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement