Last year, more than 20% of newly awarded retired workers claimed Social Security as soon as possible at age 62, so they received the smallest possible benefit. Meanwhile, less than 10% of newly awarded retired workers delayed Social Security until age 70, which is the latest sensible claim age. Those individuals got the largest possible benefit.

Read on to see the average Social Security payout at different ages, and to learn how claim age impacts benefits.

Image source: Getty Images.

The average Social Security benefit for retirees at different ages

The Social Security Administration periodically publishes anonymized benefit data to promote transparency and improve public understanding. The information in the table comes from a biannual report last updated in June 2025. It shows the average monthly Social Security benefit paid to retired workers aged 62 to 70.

Data source: Social Security Administration. Note: Payments have been rounded to the nearest dollar.

As shown, the average Social Security benefit tends to increase with age, such that the average 70-year-old retiree receives an additional $811 in monthly benefits compared to the average 62-year-old retiree. Meanwhile, the average 66-year-old retiree receives a monthly benefit somewhere between the two extremes.

This trend is primarily due to differences in claim age. In other words, all else being equal, retired workers receive the smallest possible benefit at age 62 and the biggest possible benefit at age 70, based on their personal circumstances.

How your Social Security benefit is calculated

The Social Security Administration considers two major variables when calculating benefits for retired workers: lifetime earnings and claim age. This two-step process explains exactly how those variables influence the final payout:

1. A formula is applied to the inflation-adjusted earnings from the 35 highest-paid years of a worker's career to determine their primary insurance amount (PIA). The PIA is the benefit a worker will get if they start Social Security at full retirement age (FRA), which is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.
2. The PIA is adjusted for early or delayed retirement. Retirees that claim Social Security before FRA get a smaller benefit, meaning they receive less than 100% of their PIA. Workers who start Social Security after FRA get a bigger benefit, meaning they receive more than 100% of their PIA.

There are two important conditions for this information. First, eligibility for retirement benefits begins at age 62, so no one can claim earlier. Second, delayed retirement credits stop accumulating at age 70, so no one should ever claim later.

The table details the relationship between birth year and full retirement age. It also shows the benefit (as a percentage of PIA) retired workers in each age group will receive if they claim Social Security at ages 62 and 70. In other words, the table details the smallest and largest possible payouts across different age groups.

Data source: The Social Security Administration.

The table clearly shows that Social Security is highly dependent on claim age. Indeed, retired workers born in 1960 or later can increase their benefit by 77% simply by claiming Social Security at age 70, as opposed to age 62.