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Medicare and Senior Benefits

Average Social Security Benefits for Men by Age 62 Through 70

Digilifetrends Updated 2026-10-25 3 min read
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Key Points

  • The average monthly benefit for men is $2,282.28, which is $409.85 more than the $1,872.43 average for women.

  • For 70-year-old men, the average benefit is $2,529.62 per month, and a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment will add about $91 a month to that figure.

  • A 65-year-old man is expected to live about 18 more years, while the SSA says a woman of the same age is expected to live about 21 more years.

Men's average Social Security benefits are higher than women's at every age. This breakdown looks at those figures across the main retirement years to show how wide that gap is.

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the average monthly benefit for men is $2,282.28. That is $409.85 above the $1,872.43 average for women.

Benefits for men from 62 to 70

How much a retiree receives depends on earnings history and the age at which benefits are claimed. The SSA figures your benefit by averaging your wages from your 35 highest-earning years, adjusting them for inflation, and then applying the primary insurance amount (PIA) formula.

The table below shows the average monthly amounts for men and women in the current beneficiary population. These figures reflect the most recent data period and represent people who are currently each age.

Age

Men's average

Women's average

$1,572.83

$1,285.50

$1,580.81

$1,300.20

$1,624.93

$1,342.07

$1,772.00

$1,457.40

$1,998.75

$1,629.09

$2,234.41

$1,801.82

$2,272.40

$1,836.58

$2,321.96

$1,876.96

$2,529.62

$2,024.08

Why the numbers are different

The higher average benefit for men largely reflects long-standing differences in lifetime earnings and total years spent in the workforce. Those work-history differences tend to lift the baseline benefit for the typical man.

Men also often receive benefits for fewer years than women who claim at the same age. The SSA says a 65-year-old man is expected to live about 18 more years, compared with about 21 more years for a woman of the same age.

That higher average benefit can matter when survivor benefits come into play. A surviving spouse can move to the higher of the two household benefits, so the record of the higher-earning worker often helps determine the income a spouse receives later in life.

Annual adjustments can also change these figures. A 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment will take effect and add about $91 a month to the $2,529.62 average for 70-year-old men. Social Security is meant to replace only 40% of pre-retirement income, so most retirees need other sources to help cover expenses.

What men should consider before claiming Social Security

When deciding when to file for Social Security, men should weigh both their finances and life expectancy. If delaying benefits is not affordable, or if life expectancy is relatively short, filing early may make sense. If neither is a concern, waiting beyond age 62 can lead to a larger monthly benefit.

Married men also need to think about how their claiming age affects a spouse. A spouse may be able to claim a benefit based on the worker's record, worth up to one-half of what the worker qualifies for at full retirement age, which is 67 for most workers today.

The catch is that a spouse cannot claim on your record until you have started your retirement benefits. Because of that, couples should talk through when each person plans to claim. It is best to stay aligned and revisit the plan if either person later wants to make a change.

For more on how Social Security affects retirement, see this guide.

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