Your Full Retirement Age Depends on Your Birth Year
Full retirement age is the age at which Social Security pays you 100 percent of your monthly benefit amount. It is not 65 for most people born after 1954. The Social Security Administration raised the full retirement age gradually, and where you fall in that schedule depends on the year you were born.
If you claim before your full retirement age, your monthly payment is permanently reduced. If you claim after it, your payment increases by about 8 percent per year until age 70. The difference between claiming at 62 and claiming at 70 can be $300 to $500 per month or more, depending on your earnings record.
Your birth year is the only thing that determines your full retirement age. No other factor changes it — not your health, not your job status, not when you actually stop working.
Key Takeaways
- Full retirement age ranges from 66 to 67 depending on your birth year, with the transition complete for anyone born in 1960 or later.
- Claiming before full retirement age reduces your monthly payment permanently by roughly 6 to 7 percent per year you claim early.
- Claiming after full retirement age increases your payment by about 8 percent per year, up until age 70, when increases stop.
- You can view your exact full retirement age on your Social Security statement, which you can access online through your my Social Security account.
Full Retirement Age by Birth Year
| Birth Year | Full Retirement Age |
|---|---|
| 1943–1954 | 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 or later | 67 |
The Social Security Administration began raising the full retirement age in 2000 and completed the increase in 2022. Anyone born in 1943 or earlier has a full retirement age of 65 (though that group is now past claiming age). Anyone born between 1943 and 1954 has a full retirement age of 66. The age then increases by two months for each birth year from 1955 through 1959, landing at 66 and 10 months. Anyone born in 1960 or later has a full retirement age of 67.
If you were born on January 1 of any year, Social Security counts you as born in the previous year for benefit purposes. This matters most if you were born on January 1, 1955 or later, because it can shift your full retirement age down by two months.
How Early Claiming Reduces Your Payment
You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, but doing so means a permanent reduction in your monthly benefit. The reduction is roughly 6 to 7 percent per year you claim before your full retirement age, though the exact percentage depends on how many months early you claim.
If your full retirement age is 67 and you claim at 62, you receive about 70 percent of your full benefit amount for life. If you claim at 63, you receive about 80 percent. At 64, about 87 percent. At 65, about 93 percent. These reductions are permanent — your payment does not increase to the full amount once you reach full retirement age.
The reduction also affects your spouse and children if they receive benefits based on your record. A spouse claiming at their own full retirement age receives 50 percent of your full benefit; if they claim early, that 50 percent is reduced further. Children typically receive 75 percent of your full benefit, reduced if they claim before their own full retirement age.
How Delayed Claiming Increases Your Payment
If you wait past your full retirement age to claim, your monthly payment grows by about 8 percent per year. This increase, called delayed retirement credits, continues until age 70. After 70, your payment does not increase further, so there is no financial reason to delay past that age.
If your full retirement age is 67 and you wait until 70, you receive about 124 percent of your full benefit amount. The difference between claiming at 67 and claiming at 70 is roughly 24 percent more per month for the rest of your life. For someone with a full benefit of $2,000 per month, that is an extra $480 per month.
Delayed credits also increase the benefit your spouse and children receive based on your record. A spouse who waits until their own full retirement age to claim receives 50 percent of your increased benefit amount, not 50 percent of what you would have received at 67.
How to Find Your Full Retirement Age
The fastest way to confirm your full retirement age is to create or log into your my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Your account shows your earnings record, your estimated benefit at different claiming ages, and your exact full retirement age. You do not need to call or visit an office.
If you do not have an online account, you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and speak to a representative. They can tell you your full retirement age and answer questions about how early or delayed claiming affects your payment. Wait times are usually shorter in the morning on weekdays.
You can also request a paper statement by mail, though this takes longer. Visit ssa.gov and use the "Request a Replacement Social Security Statement" tool, or call the number above.
Earnings Limits If You Claim Before Full Retirement Age
If you claim before your full retirement age and continue to work, Social Security reduces your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above an annual limit. For 2024, that limit is $23,400. In the year you reach full retirement age, the reduction is $1 for every $3 earned above a different limit ($62,160 for 2024), and only earnings before the month you reach full retirement age count.
Once you reach your full retirement age, there is no earnings limit. You can work and earn as much as you want without any reduction to your benefit.
These earnings limits apply only to work income — not to pensions, investments, rental income, or other sources. Social Security only counts wages and self-employment income.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my claiming age after I start receiving benefits?
You can withdraw your claim within 12 months of starting benefits and repay what you received, which resets your account and lets you claim again at a different age. After 12 months, you cannot withdraw. You can request a one-time increase if you have not yet reached age 70, but the rules are strict and this option is rarely available.
Does my full retirement age change if I work longer?
No. Your full retirement age is fixed based on your birth year alone. Working longer does not change the age itself, though it may increase your monthly benefit amount because Social Security recalculates your benefit based on your most recent earnings record.
What if I was born outside the United States?
Your full retirement age is the same as anyone else born in your year. You must meet other requirements to receive benefits — typically at least 10 years of work history in the United States — but your birth year determines your full retirement age, not your citizenship or birthplace.
Does my spouse's full retirement age affect mine?
No. Each person has their own full retirement age based on their own birth year. A spouse's age does not change your full retirement age, though it may affect the timing of spousal benefits if you coordinate your claiming strategy.