The average Social Security retirement payment is around $1,900 per month in 2024, but your payment depends entirely on your earnings history and the age you start collecting.

The Social Security Administration does not pay everyone the same amount. Your payment is calculated from the wages you earned over your working years — specifically, your highest 35 years of earnings. The longer you worked and the more you earned, the larger your payment will be. If you worked fewer than 35 years, zeros are factored in for the missing years, which lowers your total.

The age you start collecting also changes your payment significantly. If you claim at 62, you get less per month than if you wait until your full retirement age (which ranges from 66 to 67 depending on your birth year). If you delay until 70, your payment grows even larger. This is not a choice between the same amount paid over different lengths of time — it is a choice between different monthly amounts for life.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Social Security payment is based on your 35 highest-earning years, so gaps in work history lower your benefit amount.
  • Claiming at 62 gives you a smaller monthly payment than waiting until your full retirement age or age 70.
  • The average payment of around $1,900 per month includes all types of Social Security benefits, not just retirement.
  • You can see your estimated payment by creating an account on ssa.gov and viewing your Social Security Statement.
  • Married couples, divorced people, and survivors of workers may have different payment options based on someone else's earnings record.

How Social Security calculates your payment amount

The Social Security Administration starts with your earnings record — the wages you reported to the IRS over your entire working life. They take your 35 highest-earning years and calculate an average. This average is then run through a formula that replaces a percentage of your pre-retirement income. The formula is designed so that lower-income workers replace a higher percentage of their earnings, while higher-income workers replace a lower percentage.

If you worked fewer than 35 years, the missing years count as zeros in the calculation. This is why people who took time out of the workforce — for caregiving, unemployment, or other reasons — often see lower payments than they expected. You cannot make up those zeros by earning more in later years; they stay in the calculation.

Once you reach your full retirement age, your payment amount is locked in (unless you have not yet claimed). If you claim early, at 62, your payment is reduced by roughly 30 percent compared to what you would receive at your full retirement age. If you delay past your full retirement age, your payment increases by about 8 percent for each year you wait, up until age 70.

Why the average payment varies so much

The $1,900 average masks enormous variation. Someone who worked part-time or took years off might receive $800 per month. Someone who worked full-time at high wages for 35+ years might receive $3,500 or more. Spousal and survivor benefits, which are also counted in the Social Security Administration's average, can be much smaller than retirement benefits.

Your payment also depends on when you were born. Workers born in different years have different full retirement ages — the age at which you can claim your full benefit without reduction. Someone born in 1943 has a full retirement age of 66; someone born in 1960 or later has a full retirement age of 67. This affects how much you lose by claiming early or gain by claiming late.

Cost of living adjustments, called COLAs, also change your payment each year. The Social Security Administration announces a new COLA each October, and it takes effect in January. These adjustments are tied to inflation and vary year to year — some years the increase is substantial, other years it is modest or nonexistent.

How to find your own estimated payment

The average does not tell you what you will receive. To see your own estimate, create a my Social Security account on ssa.gov. You will need your Social Security number, email address, and a way to verify your identity — usually a phone number, mobile phone, or address on file with the Social Security Administration.

Once you are logged in, you can view your Social Security Statement. This shows your earnings history, confirms that your record is correct, and displays your estimated payment at three different claiming ages: 62, your full retirement age, and 70. The statement also shows estimates for survivor and disability benefits if you become unable to work.

If you do not have internet access or prefer to speak with someone, you can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Wait times are often long, especially early in the week and early in the month. You can also visit a local Social Security office in person, though appointments are now preferred over walk-ins.

What affects your payment if you claim early

Claiming at 62 instead of your full retirement age reduces your payment permanently. The reduction is roughly 30 percent, but the exact amount depends on your birth year. This reduction stays with you for life — you do not get a larger payment later to make up for the years you claimed early.

However, if you claim early and continue working, your earnings above a certain threshold will reduce your benefit temporarily. In 2024, if you are under your full retirement age and earn more than $23,400 per year, Social Security deducts $1 from your benefit for every $2 you earn above that amount. Once you reach your full retirement age, this earnings limit no longer applies, and your payment increases to what it would have been if you had waited.

Some people claim early because they need the money now. Others claim early because they are in poor health and do not expect to live into their 80s. There is no single right answer — it depends on your health, your financial situation, and your family history of longevity.

Payment options for spouses, ex-spouses, and survivors

If you are married, you may be able to claim a spousal benefit based on your spouse's earnings record. A spousal benefit is typically up to 50 percent of your spouse's full retirement age benefit, but only if you have reached your full retirement age. If you claim a spousal benefit before your full retirement age, the reduction is steeper than it would be on your own retirement benefit.

If you are divorced and were married for at least 10 years, you may be able to claim on your ex-spouse's record even if you have not remarried. You do not need your ex-spouse's permission, and claiming on their record does not reduce their payment. However, you must be at least 62 years old, and if you claim before your full retirement age, your benefit is reduced.

If you are a widow, widower, or surviving child of a worker who has died, you may receive a survivor benefit. Survivor benefits are calculated differently than retirement benefits and are often larger than what the deceased worker was receiving. A widow or widower can claim as early as 60 (or 50 if disabled), and children can claim until age 19 (or 23 if in school full-time).

How your payment changes after you start collecting

Once you start receiving Social Security, your payment is not fixed forever. Each January, the Social Security Administration applies a cost of living adjustment if inflation has occurred. This adjustment is the same percentage for all beneficiaries, so if there is a 3 percent COLA, everyone's payment increases by 3 percent.

Your payment can also change if you continue working after you start collecting. If you earn more in a year than you did in previous years, Social Security may recalculate your benefit using the new earnings. This recalculation happens automatically and can result in a higher payment.

If you claimed early and then reach your full retirement age, your payment increases to account for the years you claimed early. This is called a deemed filing, and it applies to most people who claimed before their full retirement age. However, if you were born on January 2, 1954, or later, the rules are different — your payment does not increase at your full retirement age unless you specifically request a voluntary suspension.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a larger Social Security payment if I work longer?

Yes, if you continue working and earn more than you did in previous years, Social Security recalculates your benefit using your new earnings. However, only your 35 highest-earning years count, so working longer helps only if your new earnings are higher than one of your previous 35 years. If you have already worked 35 years at high wages, additional work may not increase your benefit.

What is the difference between the average payment and what I will receive?

The average of $1,900 includes all types of Social Security benefits — retirement, spousal, survivor, and disability. Your individual payment depends on your earnings history, your age when you claim, and whether you are claiming on your own record or someone else's. The only way to know your actual payment is to check your Social Security Statement on ssa.gov.

Does my payment change if I move to another country?

Social Security payments continue if you move to most countries, but there are restrictions on payments to citizens of certain countries. If you are a U.S. citizen, you can receive your payment anywhere in the world. If you are not a U.S. citizen, the rules are more complex and depend on your country of residence. Contact the Social Security Administration before you move to confirm your situation.

What happens to my Social Security if I die before I claim it?

If you die before claiming Social Security, your family members may be able to claim survivor benefits based on your earnings record. Your spouse, ex-spouse, children, and parents may all be may be able to access, depending on their age and relationship to you. The total amount paid to your family is limited to a family maximum, which is typically 150 to 180 percent of what you would have received at your full retirement age.

Can I change my claiming age after I start receiving benefits?

If you claimed Social Security and changed your mind within 12 months, you can withdraw your claim and repay what you received. This allows you to claim again at a later age and receive a higher payment. After 12 months, you cannot withdraw your claim, but you can request a voluntary suspension at your full retirement age, which pauses your benefits and allows them to grow until age 70.