Full retirement age (FRA) is the age when you can claim your standard Social Security retirement benefit. Your standard benefit is formally called your primary insurance amount (PIA), and it's based on your inflation-adjusted average wages earned throughout your career.
Full retirement age varies by birth year. For those born in 1960 or later, FRA is 67. If you were born prior to 1960, your FRA is slightly lower. For instance, if you were born in 1959, it is 66 and 10 months.
It is important to know your full retirement age, as it affects when you can claim Social Security without a permanent reduction to your benefits. Full retirement age also impacts the amount of delayed retirement credits you can earn to raise your benefits by waiting longer to start collecting, as well as how much you can earn from working while receiving Social Security without forfeiting any of your benefits.
Social Security full retirement age chart
The chart below shows the full retirement age for people born at different times.
Birth Year | Full Retirement Age |
|---|---|
1943 to 1954 | 66 |
1955 | 66 and 2 months |
1956 | 66 and 4 months |
1957 | 66 and 6 months |
1958 | 66 and 8 months |
1959 | 66 and 10 months |
1960 and later | 67 |
How does full retirement age affect your Social Security benefits?
If you claim your benefits at full retirement age, you will receive your standard Social Security benefit amount. If you claim prior to FRA, you will be subject to early filing penalties that reduce your benefit by the following amounts:
- A reduction of 6.67% per year for the first 36 months before FRA
- An additional 5% for each subsequent month before FRA
Doing the math, if you claim benefits at 62 with an FRA of 67, you will face a full 30% reduction in benefits. And it's worth noting that these are prorated by month -- so even a few months earlier or later can make a significant difference in your monthly benefit.
By contrast, if you claim benefits after FRA, you receive delayed retirement credits. This results in an 8% annual increase to your monthly benefit. You can earn delayed retirement credits until age 70. After that, there's no financial benefit in delaying your claim. Delayed retirement credits cannot be earned if you are claiming either spousal benefits or survivor benefits.
Working after full retirement age
Retirees may work while collecting Social Security benefits, but those younger than their FRA will be subject to the Social Security earnings test. Under this test, if your earnings exceed a certain limit (which changes annually), you will temporarily forfeit some or all of your benefits. Once you reach full retirement age, your benefit is recalculated, and you may receive most of that money back.
Other key questions about full retirement age
There are a few additional key points to consider regarding full retirement age.
1. Do survivor benefits increase after full retirement age?
If you are the surviving spouse who is claiming benefits based on your deceased partner's work record, there is no benefit to waiting until after full retirement age to claim your benefits. You do not earn delayed retirement credits in this case, so your benefit will not increase.
However, if you are the higher-earning spouse, delaying your claim for benefits until after FRA can result in your widow(er) receiving more monthly income, as your widowed partner will receive the higher of the two monthly benefits you were each receiving.
2. Are Social Security benefits taxable at full retirement age?
Your age does not have an impact on whether you will owe federal tax on Social Security benefits. Depending on your earnings, you may pay federal taxes on Social Security benefits regardless of the age at which you claim.
Social Security benefits are taxed on amounts exceeding the "provisional income" limit set by the IRS. To calculate your provisional income, add up all non-Social Security sources of income, including nontaxable income such as municipal bond interest, and include half of your annual Social Security income.
Single filers earning provisional income between $25,000 and $34,000 and married joint filers earning between $32,000 and $44,000 will owe income taxes on 50% of their Social Security benefits. For single filers with provisional income above $34,000 and married filers above $44,000, up to 85% of Social Security benefits will be taxable.
Taxes on Social Security remain in effect following the passage of the "big, beautiful bill" (now law) on July 4, 2025. However, a new temporary tax deduction for Americans age 65 and older has reduced the number of retirees taxed on benefits because the deductions for more retired people now exceed their taxable benefits.
The White House's Council of Economic Advisers estimated that 88% of retirees will not pay tax on their payments as long as the deduction remains in effect.
Related retirement topics
3. Is your full retirement age affected by where you live?
Your full retirement age is not affected by where you live. Most Social Security rules, including those that determine benefit amount and claiming age, are set by federal law. However, some states do tax Social Security benefits, so where you live can affect tax levels on your retirement income. But again, the age at which you claim benefits won't affect your tax rate -- your income is the key factor.
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