Employment Coverage Thresholds

Determinations of specific coverage thresholds:
Domestic employees
Election workers

Coverage threshold definition
A coverage threshold is an amount of earnings that triggers coverage under the Social Security program. Earnings below the threshold are not taxable under Social Security nor do such earnings count toward future benefits. For most wage earners, there is no coverage threshold; that is, every dollar of wages is covered and taxable.

Federal law requires specific coverage thresholds for self-employed workers, farm workers, domestic employees, and election workers. The thresholds for self-employed workers and farm workers are fixed amounts, but the thresholds for domestic employees and election workers increase with increases in the national average wage index.

Specific coverage thresholds for 2009
For 2009, the domestic employee coverage threshold amount is $1,700, and the coverage threshold amount for election officials and election workers is $1,500. The table below shows the coverage thresholds for these two groups beginning with 1994.

Coverage thresholds for domestic employees^a and election officials/workers^b

Year	Domestic employees	Election workers
1994	$1,000	$100
1995	1,000	1,000
1996	1,000	1,000
1997	1,000	1,000
1998	1,100	1,000
1999	1,100	1,000
2000	1,200	1,100
2001	1,300	1,100
2002	1,300	1,200
2003	1,400	1,200
2004	1,400	1,200

Year	Domestic employees	Election workers
2005	$1,400	$1,200
2006	1,500	1,300
2007	1,500	1,300
2008	1,600	1,400
2009	1,700	1,500

^aPrior to 1994, the threshold wage amount was $50 per calendar quarter for domestic employees. For 1994 and later, the threshold applies to calendar year wages.

^bThe thresholds for election officials & workers apply to calendar year earnings.


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