Your full retirement age depends on the year you were born, and it has been rising since 1983

Full retirement age is the age at which Social Security calculates your benefit as 100 percent of what you have earned. If you were born in 1943 or earlier, your full retirement age is 65. If you were born between 1943 and 1960, it increases by two months for each birth year. If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67.

This change was written into law in 1983 as part of amendments to the Social Security Act. Congress raised the age gradually over time to account for longer life expectancy and to help keep the program solvent. The increase does not affect when you can first claim benefits — you can still claim at 62 — but it does affect how much you receive and whether you receive a bonus for waiting.

The year you were born is the only thing that determines your full retirement age. You cannot change it, and it does not vary by state or by your work history.

Key Takeaways

  • Full retirement age rises by two months for each birth year between 1943 and 1960, reaching 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.
  • Claiming before your full retirement age reduces your monthly benefit permanently, even if you live to 100.
  • Claiming after your full retirement age increases your benefit by 8 percent per year, up to age 70.
  • Your full retirement age affects your earnings test — if you work and claim early, Social Security reduces your benefit until you reach full retirement age.

How the increase affects your monthly benefit amount

If you claim at your full retirement age, you receive 100 percent of your primary insurance amount — the benefit Social Security calculates based on your 35 highest-earning years. This is your baseline.

If you claim at 62, the earliest possible age, your benefit is reduced by roughly 30 percent if your full retirement age is 67, or by roughly 25 percent if your full retirement age is 66. The exact reduction depends on how many months early you claim. This reduction is permanent and applies to every check you receive for the rest of your life.

If you delay claiming past your full retirement age, your benefit grows by 8 percent per year until age 70. At 70, you receive the maximum benefit Social Security will pay you based on your earnings record. After 70, the benefit no longer increases.

The earnings test and working before full retirement age

If you claim Social Security before reaching your full retirement age and you continue to work, Social Security reduces your benefit based on your earnings. This is called the earnings test. The reduction applies only until you reach your full retirement age; after that, you can earn as much as you want without any reduction.

In 2024, Social Security reduces your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above $23,400 in the year you claim. The threshold and the reduction rate can change each year. In the year you reach your full retirement age, a different rule applies: Social Security reduces your benefit by $1 for every $3 you earn above $62,400, but only for earnings before the month you reach full retirement age.

Because your full retirement age is now higher than it was for previous generations, the earnings test affects you for more years if you claim early. This is one reason financial advisors often suggest waiting to claim if you plan to keep working.

How the increase affects spousal and survivor benefits

If you are may have access to to a spousal benefit — a benefit based on your spouse's earnings record — your full retirement age also determines the maximum you can receive. A spouse can claim at 62, but the reduction is larger than it is for a worker's own benefit. At 62, a spouse receives roughly 32 to 35 percent of the worker's primary insurance amount, depending on the worker's full retirement age.

Survivor benefits for your children and widow or widower also tie to your full retirement age. The total amount Social Security pays to your family is capped at roughly 150 to 180 percent of your primary insurance amount, depending on your full retirement age. A higher full retirement age does not change this family maximum, but it does affect how the payment is divided among survivors.

When your full retirement age was set and why it changed

In 1983, Congress passed amendments to Social Security after trustees warned the program would run out of money by 1983. One of the major changes was a gradual increase in full retirement age. At the time, life expectancy had risen significantly since Social Security began in 1935, when full retirement age was set at 65.

The increase was phased in slowly: two-month increments for people born between 1943 and 1954, a pause for people born between 1954 and 1955, then two-month increments again for people born between 1955 and 1960. This staggered approach was meant to give workers time to adjust their retirement planning.

No further increases to full retirement age are currently scheduled by law. If Congress changes the law in the future, any new increase would likely be phased in over many years, just as the current increase was.

Finding your own full retirement age

Social Security publishes a table showing full retirement age by birth year on its website at ssa.gov. You can also find your full retirement age in your Social Security Statement, which you can view online at ssa.gov/myaccount if you create an account.

Your full retirement age is also listed on any official Social Security letter you receive, such as a benefit estimate or an award notice. If you have questions about your specific age, you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and speak with a representative.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does full retirement age affect when I can start claiming Social Security?

No. You can claim Social Security as early as 62 regardless of your full retirement age. Your full retirement age only affects how much you receive and whether you get a bonus for waiting. Claiming before full retirement age permanently reduces your monthly benefit.

If I was born in 1955, what is my full retirement age?

If you were born in 1955, your full retirement age is 66 and 2 months. The age increases by two months for each year of birth from 1943 to 1960. You can check your exact age on the Social Security Administration's website or in your Social Security Statement.

Can I work past my full retirement age and still get the 8 percent increase?

Yes. Once you reach your full retirement age, the earnings test no longer applies, and you can work without any reduction to your benefit. If you delay claiming past full retirement age, your benefit continues to grow by 8 percent per year until age 70, regardless of how much you earn.

Will Congress raise full retirement age again?

No increase is currently scheduled by law. Any future change would require Congress to pass new legislation. If an increase were enacted, it would almost certainly be phased in gradually over many years, as the current increase was.