Social Security 2023: What’s the Average Benefit at Every Age? (2024)

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Social Security 2023: What’s the Average Benefit at Every Age? (1)

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According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the average monthly retirement benefit for Security Security recipients is $1,781.63 as of February. Several factors can drag that average up or down, but you have the most control over the biggest variable of all — the age that you decide to cash in.

You become eligible for Social Security at 62, but you’ll receive a reduced monthly payment by claiming benefits before your full retirement age, which varies by your date of birth.

Here’s a breakdown of how the average benefit could change depending on when you decide to collect.

The Payments Grow With Every Month You Wait

Someone turning 62 and becoming eligible for Social Security today was born in 1961. For those born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67. Rounding up the current average benefit to $1,782 for the sake of even numbers and presuming that as the full benefit, here’s how a hypothetical recipient’s payment would change between the start of eligibility and full retirement age.

Are You Retirement Ready?

62 Years Old

If people born after 1960 claim their benefits the month they turn 62, they’ll get only 70% of what they would have received had they waited until the full retirement age of 67. The average monthly payment of $1,782 drops by 30% during the first month of eligibility to $1,247.40. Here’s the dollar amount, and the percentage of the full benefit it represents, for every month they wait after that.

  • 62 + 1 month: $1,254.53 (70.4%)
  • 62 + 2 months: $1,261.66 (70.8%)
  • 62 + 3 months: $1,270.57 (71.3%)
  • 62 + 4 months: $1,277.69 (71.7%)
  • 62 + 5 months: $1,284.82 (72.1%)
  • 62 + 6 months: $1,291.95 (72.5%)
  • 62 + 7 months: $1,299.08 (72.9%)
  • 62 + 8 months: $1,306.21 (73.3%)
  • 62 + 9 months: $1,315.12 (73.8%)
  • 62 + 10 months: $1,322.24 (74.2%)
  • 62 + 11 months: $1,329.37 (74.6%)

63 Years Old

If you wait until you’re 63, you’ll get 75% of your full benefits, which is $1,336.50 of the average $1,782 monthly payment.

  • 63 + 1 month: $1,343.63 (75.4%)
  • 63 + 2 months: $1,350.76 (75.8%)
  • 63 + 3 months: $1,359.67 (76.3%)
  • 63 + 4 months: $1,366.79 (76.7%)
  • 63 + 5 months: $1,373.92 (77.1%)
  • 63 + 6 months: $1,381.05 (77.5%)
  • 63 + 7 months: $1,388.18 (77.9%)
  • 63 + 8 months: $1,395.31 (78.3%)
  • 63 + 9 months: $1,404.22 (78.8%)
  • 63 + 10 months: $1,411.34 (79.2%)
  • 63 + 11 months: $1,418.47 (79.6%)

64 Years Old

If you wait until you’re 64, you’ll get 80% of the full average monthly payment of $1782, which is $1,425.60.

  • 64 + 1 month: $1,436.29 (80.6%)
  • 64 + 2 months: $1,445.20 (81.1%)
  • 64 + 3 months: $1,455.89 (81.7%)
  • 64 + 4 months: $1,464.80 (82.2%)
  • 64 + 5 months: $1,475.50 (82.8%)
  • 64 + 6 months: $1,484.41 (83.3%)
  • 64 + 7 months: $1,495.10 (83.9%)
  • 64 + 8 months: $1,504.01 (84.4%)
  • 64 + 9 months: $1,514.70 (85%)
  • 64 + 10 months: $1,525.39 (85.6%)
  • 64 + 11 months: $1,534.30 (86.1%)

65 Years Old

Those who claim at 65 will receive 86.7% of the full monthly benefit, which drops the average from $1,782 to $1,544.99.

  • 65 + 1 month: $1,553.90 (87.2%)
  • 65 + 2 months: $1,564.60 (87.8%)
  • 65 + 3 months: $1,573.51 (88.3%)
  • 65 + 4 months: $1,584.20 (88.9%)
  • 65 + 5 months: $1,593.11 (89.4%)
  • 65 + 6 months: $1,603.80 (90%)
  • 65 + 7 months: $1,614.49 (90.6%)
  • 65 + 8 months: $1,623.40 (91.1%)
  • 65 + 9 months: $1,634.09 (91.7%)
  • 65 + 10 months: $1,643.00 (92.2%)
  • 65 + 11 months: $1,653.70 (92.8%)

Are You Retirement Ready?

66 Years Old

At 66, the reduced benefit jumps to 93.3% of the full average monthly payment of $1,782, which is $1,662.61.

  • 66 + 1 month: $1,673.30 (93.9%)
  • 66 + 2 months: $1,682.21 (94.4%)
  • 66 + 3 months: $1,692.90 (95%)
  • 66 + 4 months: $1,703.59 (95.6%)
  • 66 + 5 months: $1,712.50 (96.1%)
  • 66 + 6 months: $1,723.19 (96.7%)
  • 66 + 7 months: $1,732.10 (97.2%)
  • 66 + 8 months: $1,742.80 (97.8%)
  • 66 + 9 months: $1,751.71 (98.3%)
  • 66 + 10 months: $1,762.40 (98.9%)
  • 66 + 11 months: $1,771.31 (99.4%)

If You Can Wait Even Longer, You’ll Get Even More

If you wait until you’re 67, you’ll receive 100% of the full benefit, which in this hypothetical scenario is $1,782. But if you wait even longer, you’ll receive an extra 0.7% for every month you delay up to 124% of the full benefit until you turn 70, when the delayed retirement credits stop.

  • 68 years old: $1,924.60 (108%)
  • 69 years old: $2,067.12 (116%)
  • 70 or older: $2,209.68 (124%)

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Social Security 2023: What’s the Average Benefit at Every Age? (2024)

FAQs

What is the average Social Security benefit in 2023? ›

Social Security offers a monthly benefit check to many kinds of recipients. As of December 2023, the average check is $1,767.03, according to the Social Security Administration – but that amount can differ drastically depending on the type of recipient. In fact, retirees typically make more than the overall average.

What is the average Social Security benefit per month at age 65? ›

The average retirement benefit for men at age 65 is $1,670.99 compared to $1,355.81 for women. Note, though, that these averages come from SSA's annual statistical supplement for 2023 with data current as of December 2022.

How much does the average 62 year old get from Social Security? ›

62 Years Old

The average monthly payment of $1,782 drops by 30% during the first month of eligibility to $1,247.40.

What is the average Social Security payment at age 70? ›

If they claimed Social Security at age 62, they would get $700 per month (70% of their PIA). But if they claim Social Security at age 70, they will get $1,240 per month (124% of their PIA).

What is the average Social Security check at 65 in 2023? ›

As inflation and cost of living increased throughout the year, the SSA increased benefits by 8.7%. This boosts the average Social Security check to $1,827 in 2023.

What is the average Social Security check at age 67? ›

Let's take a closer look at what the average retired worker can expect to receive at this age. Based on recently released data from the SSA's Office of the Actuary, the average retired-worker beneficiary aged 67 was bringing home $1,883.50 in December 2023, or about $22,602 on an annualized basis.

What is average Social Security monthly check? ›

California. In America's most populous state, some 4.3 million retirees who collect Social Security can expect to receive an average $1,496.13 per month from the program in 2020, or $17,953.56 over the course of the year. California is another state where benefits are below average for the U.S.

What is the average Social Security check at age 68? ›

The Average Social Security Benefit by Age
AgeMenWomen
68$2,384$1,935
69$2,476$2,005
70$2,830$2,296
71$2,809$2,283
21 more rows
Sep 27, 2023

At what age is Social Security no longer taxed? ›

Bottom Line. Yes, Social Security is taxed federally after the age of 70. If you get a Social Security check, it will always be part of your taxable income, regardless of your age. There is some variation at the state level, though, so make sure to check the laws for the state where you live.

What is the lowest Social Security payment? ›

This calculation looks at years of coverage in place of someone's earnings to estimate how much they might receive from Social Security. For 2024, the special minimum benefit starts at $50.90 for someone with 11 years of coverage and goes to $1,066.50 for workers with 30 years of coverage.

What is the highest Social Security check at age 62? ›

The maximum benefit depends on the age you retire. For example, if you retire at full retirement age in 2024, your maximum benefit would be $3,822. However, if you retire at age 62 in 2024, your maximum benefit would be $2,710. If you retire at age 70 in 2024, your maximum benefit would be $4,873.

What is a good monthly retirement income? ›

Many retirees fall far short of that amount, but their savings may be supplemented with other forms of income. According to data from the BLS, average 2022 incomes after taxes were as follows for older households: 65-74 years: $63,187 per year or $5,266 per month. 75 and older: $47,928 per year or $3,994 per month.

Is it better to collect Social Security at 62 or 67? ›

You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase.

What is the highest Social Security check? ›

The maximum Social Security benefit at full retirement age is $3,822 per month in 2024. It's $4,873 per month in 2024 if retiring at age 70 and $2,710 if retiring at age 62. A person's Social Security benefit amount depends on earnings, full retirement age and when they take benefits.

What is the average Social Security check for a person living in the US? ›

Generally speaking, the average Social Security check was $1,710.78 in November 2023, according to the Social Security Administration. However, this number doesn't specifically address retirees who earned a middle income during their time in the workforce.

What percentage of people collect Social Security at 62? ›

And as of 2021, according to the Congressional Research Service, about 30% of Social Security applicants were 62.

How much Social Security do you get if you make 100k? ›

If your pay at retirement will be $100,000, your benefits will start at $2,026 each month, which equals $24,315 per year. And if your pay at retirement will be $125,000, your monthly benefits at the outset will be $2,407 for $28,889 yearly.

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