For most retirees, Social Security income isn't a luxury -- it's a necessity to make ends meet. Nearly a quarter-century of Gallup surveys show that 80% to 90% of retirees rely on their Social Security payout to cover some portion of their expenses.
But retired-worker benefits can differ drastically by age. Based on the four foundational factors used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to calculate retirement benefits, the average monthly retired-worker payout from 62 through 99-plus is all over the map.
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These four factors are used to calculate monthly retired-worker benefits
To determine how much an eligible retired-worker beneficiary will receive, the SSA accounts for their:
- Work history
- Earnings history
- Full retirement age
- Claiming age
The first two variables -- work and earnings history -- are intertwined. The SSA uses a worker's 35 highest-earning, inflation-adjusted years when calculating their monthly payout. For every year worked less than 35, a $0 is averaged into the calculation.
The third element, full retirement age, is based on the year a worker is born and represents the age at which they become eligible to receive 100% of their monthly payout. It's the only variable a worker can't control.
Lastly, but arguably most important, is a worker's claiming age. Retired-worker payouts can start as early as age 62, though beneficiaries are incentivized to be patient. For every year a worker waits to initially collect their benefit, from age 62 until age 70, their payout can grow by up to 8%.
Breaking down the average retired-worker benefit by age
Each year, the SSA's Office of the Actuary publishes a data set that breaks down the average retired-worker benefit for all ages, from 62 through 99-plus. Although these payouts aren't necessarily indicative of the age at which workers chose to claim their Social Security benefit (aside from age 62), they do offer insight into two core themes.
| Age | Average Retirement Benefit | Age | Average Retirement Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | $1,424.40 | 81 | $2,099.82 |
| 63 | $1,435.81 | 82 | $2,098.76 |
| 64 | $1,478.00 | 83 | $2,102.12 |
| 65 | $1,607.27 | 84 | $2,101.26 |
| 66 | $1,807.28 | 85 | $2,077.11 |
| 67 | $2,016.48 | 86 | $2,036.62 |
| 68 | $2,052.64 | 87 | $2,015.54 |
| 69 | $2,096.95 | 88 | $1,983.29 |
| 70 | $2,274.68 | 89 | $1,925.36 |
| 71 | $2,247.76 | 90 | $1,898.34 |
| 72 | $2,205.21 | 91 | $1,894.74 |
| 73 | $2,207.96 | 92 | $1,899.20 |
| 74 | $2,178.87 | 93 | $1,920.13 |
| 75 | $2,144.88 | 94 | $1,907.78 |
| 76 | $2,157.21 | 95 | $1,890.03 |
| 77 | $2,170.80 | 96 | $1,889.08 |
| 78 | $2,140.16 | 97 | $1,891.21 |
| 79 | $2,155.77 | 98 | $1,887.57 |
| 80 | $2,106.29 | 99 and over | $1,845.00 |
Data source: Social Security Administration Office of the Actuary, as of December 2025.
The first thing to note is the night-and-day difference in monthly payouts between ages 62 and 70. As of December 2025, 70-year-old retired-worker beneficiaries ($2,274.68/month) were receiving approximately 60% more per month from Social Security than the average retired-worker recipient at age 62 ($1,424.40/month).
This variance is fueled by the aforementioned power of patience. Whereas claiming at age 62 can permanently reduce a worker's monthly payout by 25% to 30%, depending on their birth year, waiting until age 70 to initially collect benefits can increase their benefit by 24% to 32% above what they'd receive at full retirement age.
The other noteworthy trend you'll notice is the average benefit drop-off that occurs after age 85. This is the result of women, on average, living longer than men and spending more time out of the labor force as caretakers.
A 2021 study by Pew Research Center found that 26% of mothers were stay-at-home parents compared to just 7% of fathers. Statistically, spending more time out of the labor force has negatively impacted the earning potential for women, resulting in the observed drop-off in average retired-worker payouts from age 85 onward.
