If Your Social Security Benefit Is Larger Than This, You're Getting More From the Program Than Most
You might wonder where your monthly Social Security check stands compared to everyone else’s. The average monthly benefit for retired workers is $2,071.30 as of December 2025, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). That amounts to about $24,855.60 per year, but this single figure covers a massive range of ages and circumstances.
This benchmark includes retirees from age 62 to well over 100. Because age and gender affect work history and claims decisions, the averages shift depending on the group you’re looking at. For example, the average for those aged 62 is $1,424.40 per month, while the average for those aged 70 is $2,274.68 per month.
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How the Social Security Administration calculates your benefit
The SSA bases your benefit on an average of your monthly wages across your 35 highest-earning years. It adjusts those earlier wages for inflation and runs them through the primary insurance amount (PIA) formula. Full retirement age ranges from 66 to 67, depending on your birth year. It’s 67 for everyone born in 1960 or later.
Landing above the $2,071 average benefit usually requires high career earnings and signing up later. Claiming at 70 earns you delayed retirement credits, worth 8% per year for those with a full retirement age of 67. Conversely, claiming at 62 can reduce your monthly check by 30% compared to what you’d receive at age 67.
Not every factor in the benefit formula is completely within your control. Health issues or caregiving often cut careers short. Even if you beat the national average benefit, your checks are often not enough to fund a comfortable retirement. Social Security was designed to replace only 40% of your pre-retirement income, which is well short of what most retirees need.
The typical household headed by someone 65 or older spends $61,432 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That far exceeds the $24,855.60 average annual Social Security benefit. A 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) took effect in 2026, adding about $58 a month to the average Social Security check.
Social Security is only one piece of the puzzle
Large Social Security checks can make retirement more comfortable, but you will still need other sources of retirement income, including personal savings and possibly a job to cover all of your expenses. Preparing for this ahead of time is key.
You can get a rough idea of how much your Social Security checks could be worth at every possible claiming age through your free my Social Security account. Once you know about how much you’ll get per month, you can subtract this from your estimated monthly retirement expenses. The remainder is the amount you’ll need to cover on your own.
Think about how you’ll pay for your remaining expenses. Ideally, you’d have enough personal savings. If not, you might need to explore alternatives, such as working part-time in retirement or delaying retirement to give yourself more time to save. If your retirement plans change down the road, you’ll need to alter your retirement plans and Social Security claiming strategy accordingly.
Remember, your goal isn’t just to beat a national benchmark, but to ensure your total income from all sources covers your real-world expenses.
For more on how Social Security affects your retirement, see this guide.
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If Your Social Security Benefit Is Larger Than This, You’re Getting More From the Program Than Most was originally published by The Motley Fool