Don't ask me how the SSA makes these projections, but here are the estimates for the next 9 years. (last year's high cost estimate was 80,100 and we ended up at 80,400). The actual wage base for 2002 is usually released in October.

Projected Taxable Wage Bases


Year low cost intermediate high cost
2002 85,200 84,900 84,600
2003 89,100 89,100 87,300
2004 93,600 93,300 90,600
2005 97,200 97,200 96,600
2006 101,100 101,400 100,800
2007 105,000 105,900 105,900
2008 109,200 110,400 112,200
2009 113,400 115,200 117,900
2010 117,600 120,000 123,300

www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/TR01/V_programatic.html