In these uncertain times, it's important to have a solid retirement plan in place. That involves estimating how much money you'll need for retirement and how you'll get it. Much of what you need will likely come from your saving and investing over time, but some of your retirement income will probably come from Social Security.
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So take some time to get an idea of how much you might expect from Social Security. Here's a start -- the average Social Security benefit for those age 72 as of December 2024 was $2,117 per month. The average for men was $2,343, outpacing the average of $1,894 for women.
To put that in context, here's a look at the average monthly benefits for recipients of various ages:
|
Age |
Average benefit, all |
Average benefit, men |
Average benefit, women |
|---|---|---|---|
|
62 |
$1,342 |
$1,486 |
$1,207 |
|
65 |
$1,611 |
$1,785 |
$1,453 |
|
67 |
$1,930 |
$2,143 |
$1,719 |
|
70 |
$2,148 |
$2,390 |
$1,909 |
|
72 |
$2,117 |
$2,343 |
$1,894 |
|
75 |
$2,065 |
$2,278 |
$1,857 |
|
80 |
$2,006 |
$2,206 |
$1,816 |
|
85 |
$1,944 |
$2,120 |
$1,788 |
Data source: Social Security Administration.
You can get a clearer idea of how much you can expect from Social Security by setting up a my Social Security account at the Social Security Administration (SSA) website. You'll see the latest estimates of your future benefits. They might be much less than you expect.
Women often collect smaller benefits than men because they tend to earn less. They also may have worked less than 35 years due to being out of the workforce for a while caring for children, parents, or others.
If you have some years before you retire, you may be able to increase your Social Security benefits. One way is to delay them. One study found that for 57% of people, waiting until age 70 is best to maximize benefits.
If you're already collecting Social Security, you can at least look forward to nearly annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs).
