What does the do?

Refreshed 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 2025,

$1.65T

was spent by the Social Security Administration
In FY 2025,

23.4%

of federal spending was by the Social Security Administration

How much does the Social Security Administration spend?

Social Security Administration spent $1.65 trillion in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 23.4% of the $7.04 trillion in overall federal spending. The agency ranked second among federal agencies in total spending.

The Social Security Administration accounted for 23.4% of all federal spending in FY 2025.

Share of SSA net spending compared to the top ten highest spending agencies in FY 2025

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 $499.8 billion in 1980 to $1.65 trillion in 2025.

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The Social Security Administration’s federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by SSA, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1980–2025

Since 1980, the Social Security Administration's spending has increased 229.5%, while overall spending has increased 196.9%.
The department’s spending grew more than overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget increased. In 2025, SSA accounted for 23.4% of all federal spending. That’s 2.3 percentage points higher than 1980 and 1.8 points lower than in 2015.
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 2025 was higher than in FY 1980.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to SSA, FYs 1980–2025

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 2025, all of the Social Security Administration's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net SSA spending.

How did the Social Security Administration spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to SSA, FY 2025

How many people work for the Social Security Administration?

Some 50,000 of the 2.02 million total civilian federal employees work for the Social Security Administration as of May 2026. This is 24.1% fewer people than the agency staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Social Security Administration has decreased 24.1% since 2012.

Number of federal employees working for SSA, May 2012–2026

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 May 2026 than in 2012 (3.1%).
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 (23.4%).

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.

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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.