Use these instructions to import earnings in comma separated value (CSV) format. Note that the SSA.gov website does not provide earnings in CSV format. You can, however, easily download and import earnings from your SSA.gov account in XML format, see our Upload XML panel.
If you have previously exported earnings from our software to a CSV file using the "Export to CSV" link underneath the Covered Earnings History table, follow these steps:
- Click on the "Upload File" button and choose the CSV file you previously exported
- The earnings record should appear
Otherwise, you can easily create a CSV file of earnings from a spreadsheet or using a text editor. If using a spreadsheet you typically use the "Save As..." command and choose "CSV". The CSV file should have two columns: Year and Earnings. Use those labels in the first row, so your CSV file ends up looking like this:
Year,Earnings
1986,60000
1987,61000
1988,62000
1989,63000
Save the file, then click on the "Upload File" button and choose the file you just saved. Your earnings record should appear. If you see an error message, try these troubleshooting ideas:
- Open the file in a text editor. Be sure there is a line break after the last row of numbers.
- Remove formatting such as dollar signs, commas and periods. Earnings should be whole numbers only.