What Is the Average Social Security Check at Age 67?

Planning for retirement means figuring out how much income you’ll have. And for many Americans, Social Security is a big part of that. Your monthly benefit at full retirement age (67 for people born in 1960 or later) depends on your work and earnings history. A financial advisor help you determine when to start and build a retirement plan that fits your goals and finances.

Average Social Security Benefit at Age 67

As of December 2025, retired workers who were age 67 and receiving Social Security had an average monthly benefit of $2,016.48. Men age 67 received an average of $2,234.41 per month, while women received an average of $1,801.82. ¹

These numbers show benefits actually being paid to retired workers age 67 at that time. They do not represent a guaranteed benefit amount or the amount that someone with average lifetime earnings would necessarily receive by claiming at 67.

Social Security benefits are adjusted annually to account for inflation through cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). These changes help maintain the purchasing power of benefits over time, though the actual impact varies based on when and how you claim. Social Security announced a 3.6% COLA for 2027, which will raise the average monthly benefit for all retired workers from $2,095 to about $2,170 starting in January. ²

Your benefit amount will depend on your work history, earnings record and the age you begin collecting. The Social Security Administration provides personalized estimates through annual statements and its online calculator.

Age 67 is the full retirement age for people born in 1960 or later. If that applies to you, starting benefits at 67 generally pays 100% of your primary insurance amount. Your own payment could be substantially higher or lower than the age-67 average.

The maximum benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age in 2026 is $4,152 per month, but reaching that amount generally requires having earned the Social Security taxable maximum in each year beginning at age 22. ³

Social Security benefits depend on an individual’s earnings history and claiming age, so the $2,016.48 age-67 average should not be used as an estimate of what a particular person will receive.

What Happens If You Claim Early?

Claiming Social Security before your full retirement age leads to a lower monthly benefit for life. The Social Security Administration reduces your payment by a fixed percentage for each month you claim early.

For the first 36 months before full retirement age, the reduction is about 0.56% per month. After that, the reduction is roughly 0.42% per month.

If your full retirement age is 67 and you begin collecting at 62, your benefit would be reduced for 60 months total. That results in a 30% cut. So, if your full-retirement-age benefit were $2,573.56 per month, your benefit would be about $1,801.49.

Even claiming just one year early lowers your benefit by roughly 6.7%. The Social Security Administration publishes charts showing the monthly reductions, which can help when deciding the best time to start collecting.

Claiming Social Security early can provide income sooner, but it may also reduce the amount you receive over a retirement that could last decades. The right claiming age often depends on factors such as your health, life expectancy, savings balance, work plans and overall retirement income strategy.

Use SmartAsset’s retirement calculator to estimate how different Social Security claiming ages, savings levels and withdrawal strategies could affect your long-term retirement income and how long your assets may last.

How to Determine Your Full Retirement Age

Your full retirement age (FRA) is when you can get your full Social Security benefit. If you claim before this age, your monthly payment will be lower for life. If you wait past your FRA, your benefit will go up until age 70. Knowing your FRA helps you avoid filing too early.

Your full retirement age depends on the year in which you were born:

• If you were born between 1943 and 1954, your FRA is 66.
• If you were born in 1960 or later, your FRA is 67.
• If your birth year falls between 1955 and 1959, your FRA will be somewhere between 66 and 67. For example, 66 and 8 months if you were born in 1958.

This gradual increase in FRA was introduced by Congress in 1983 to help ensure the long-term sustainability of the Social Security program. At one time, full retirement age was 65 for everyone, but as people began living longer, lawmakers adjusted the rules to reflect those changes. This also gave people the flexibility to choose the best age for retirement based on their own health, goals, and finances.

One small detail that can also affect your FRA is your exact birthday. If you were born on the first day of a month, the Social Security Administration will treat your birthday as if it occurred the month before. For example, if your birthday is on March 1, the SSA will calculate your benefits as if you were born in February.

You can use the chart below, courtesy of the SSA, to find your exact full retirement age based on your birth year.

How Employment Can Affect Social Security at 67

Turning 67 has an important consequence for workers who receive Social Security. For anyone born in 1960 or later, that birthday marks full retirement age (FRA). The retirement earnings test stops restricting payments beginning with the FRA month, so continuing to earn a salary after that point does not by itself cause Social Security to hold back retirement benefits.

Before that month, employment can affect how much Social Security actually pays during the year. Two earnings thresholds apply in 2026. The general threshold is $24,480 for beneficiaries who stay below full retirement age throughout the year. The separate threshold for a beneficiary reaching FRA during 2026 is $65,160. ⁴ In the latter case, Social Security considers only earnings received before the month the beneficiary reaches FRA and withholds $1 of benefits for each $3 above the threshold.

As an example, let’s consider someone whose FRA arrives in November and who earns $68,160 during the months that precede it. The amount above the applicable threshold is $3,000:

• $68,160 – $65,160 = $3,000

With $1 withheld for each $3 above the threshold, the calculation produces $1,000 of benefits subject to withholding. The earnings test would cease to affect this worker beginning with the FRA month.

The effect of working can extend beyond that year’s payments. Social Security determines a worker’s retirement benefit using up to 35 years of earnings. Someone who keeps working at 67 could therefore receive a higher benefit if the new earnings are high enough to replace a lower-earning year previously used in the calculation. The SSA also adjusts benefits after FRA when earlier payments were withheld under the retirement earnings test.

For workers considering Social Security around age 67, the date they attain FRA can therefore be as important as their annual salary. Someone who has already reached FRA faces different rules from someone who will reach it several months later, even when both people are 67 during the same calendar year.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Bottom Line

Deciding when to claim Social Security benefits is one of the most important choices you’ll make in retirement planning. As of December 2025, the average monthly benefit paid to a retired worker age 67 was $2,016.48. For people born in 1960 or later, claiming at age 67 means claiming at full retirement age and receiving 100% of the worker’s calculated full retirement benefit. Claiming early can reduce your monthly payments for life. On the other hand, waiting beyond full retirement age could increase your benefit. For someone whose FRA is 67, delaying until age 70 can increase the retirement benefit to 124% of the full-retirement-age amount, before accounting for subsequent COLAs.

Your own benefit could differ widely from the average, since it depends on your earnings history and the age you choose to claim.

“Social Security benefits, like many other aspects of retirement, are highly personalized. While averages may help serve as general benchmarks it’s better to have a personalized plan,” said Brandon Renfro, CFP®.

Brandon Renfro, CFP®, RICP, EA provided the quote used in this article. Please note that Brandon is not a participant in SmartAsset AMP, is not an employee of SmartAsset and has been compensated. The opinion voiced in the quote is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations.

Retirement Planning Tips 

• A financial advisor can help you determine when to retire and manage other factors to maximize your benefits. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
• If you want to know how much your nest egg could grow over time, SmartAsset’s retirement calculator could help you get an estimate.

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