Women receive lower average Social Security retirement benefits than men in every age bracket. The figures below show the current dollar amounts based on the latest available data, illustrating the size of that gap.
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), women collect an average of $1,872.43 per month. That is $409.85 less than the $2,282.28 average monthly benefit for men.
Benefit comparisons for women and men
The table below lists average monthly retirement payments for people ages 62 through 70. It shows how consistently women’s checks trail men’s at every age.
| Age | Women's average | Men's average |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | $1,285.50 | $1,572.83 |
| 63 | $1,300.20 | $1,580.81 |
| 64 | $1,342.07 | $1,624.93 |
| 65 | $1,457.40 | $1,772.00 |
| 66 | $1,629.09 | $1,998.75 |
| 67 | $1,801.82 | $2,234.41 |
| 68 | $1,836.58 | $2,272.40 |
| 69 | $1,876.96 | $2,321.96 |
| 70 | $2,024.08 | $2,529.62 |
Why earnings history and longevity matter
The SSA calculates benefits using the average of your highest-earning 35 years of wages, after adjusting earlier earnings for inflation and applying the primary insurance amount (PIA) formula. The lasting gap between men’s and women’s benefits reflects differences in lifetime earnings and the fact that women have historically spent fewer years in paid employment.
These payments are meant to replace only about 40% of pre-retirement income, which is generally not enough for most retirees to cover all of their expenses.
Full retirement age (FRA) is between 66 and 67, depending on birth year, and it is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Claiming at 62 reduces the monthly benefit, while delaying until 70 increases it through delayed retirement credits worth 8% per year.
Even though women tend to receive smaller average monthly checks, those benefits usually need to last longer. A 65-year-old woman is expected to live about 21 more years, compared with about 18 more years for a man, according to the SSA. In practical terms, the average woman may need retirement income to stretch roughly three additional years.
A 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will help benefits keep up with inflation. For example, a 70-year-old woman receiving the average $2,024.08 benefit would see roughly $73 more per month after that adjustment. The dollar gap is widest at older ages in the table, and spousal and survivor benefits can be important for many women.
Spousal and survivor benefits may be more valuable
The figures above focus on retired-worker benefits, but many women receive spousal or survivor benefits based on a partner’s work record instead. In some cases, those benefits can be higher than what they would receive on their own.
Spousal benefits are available while a partner is still alive and are based on that partner’s earnings record. They can be worth up to half of the amount the partner qualifies for at full retirement age, and they are only payable once the spouse has filed for retirement benefits.
Survivor benefits are available after a partner dies. They can equal up to 100% of the amount the spouse was eligible for or already receiving at the time of death. A person receives survivor benefits only if that amount is higher than their own retirement benefit.
Contact the Social Security Administration to learn whether you qualify for these benefits and what they may be worth to you.
For more information on how Social Security affects retirement, see this guide.
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