What is the SGA amount for 2026?
The 2026 Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) amount is $1,690 per month for non-blind individuals and $2,830 per month for statutorily blind individuals.
Verified against the Social Security Administration's official SGA table (ssa.gov/oact/cola/sga.html) on 2026-07-20. The blind SGA amount does not apply to SSI.
What SGA means
SGA is the earnings level SSA uses to decide whether work "counts" as substantial. For SSDI, monthly gross earnings above SGA — after the Trial Work Period is used up — generally signal that disability-level work capacity has returned, which can end cash benefits after a grace period. Earning below SGA generally does not end benefits. (During the Trial Work Period, you can earn above SGA and keep full benefits while trial months last.)
Recent SGA amounts (non-blind / blind)
| Year | Non-blind | Blind |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $1,690 | $2,830 |
| 2025 | $1,620 | $2,700 |
| 2024 | $1,550 | $2,590 |
Amounts adjust annually with the national average wage index. Source for all years: SSA's SGA table.
Common mistakes
- Confusing SGA with the TWP trigger. They are different numbers: in 2026, a month over $1,210 uses a Trial Work month; $1,690 is the SGA line that matters mostly after the TWP.
- Applying SGA to SSI. SSI uses its own income-counting rules, not the SGA cliff (SGA matters for SSI only at initial application, not ongoing eligibility for most recipients).
- Using net instead of gross. SGA compares your gross wages (with limited deductions like Impairment-Related Work Expenses); don't assess yourself on take-home pay.
Weighing an actual job offer? Use the Can I Work? checker to see the SGA, TWP, and VA rules applied to your numbers together.