At every age, men’s average Social Security benefits are higher than women’s. The figures below show how those payments compare across the early retirement years based on the latest available data.
The Social Security Administration reports that the average retirement benefit for men is $2,282.28 a month, while women receive an average of $1,872.43. That creates a monthly difference of $409.85.
Benefit averages for men and women from 62 to 70
Social Security calculates benefits from your 35 highest-earning years, adjusting past wages for inflation before applying a formula meant to replace roughly 40% of pre-retirement income. For many retirees, that amount covers only part of their living expenses.
These averages reflect current beneficiaries, including people who filed early and those who delayed claiming to increase their checks. The monthly figures continue to show a clear gender gap across all ages.
| Age | Men's average | Women's average |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | $1,572.83 | $1,285.50 |
| 63 | $1,580.81 | $1,300.20 |
| 64 | $1,624.93 | $1,342.07 |
| 65 | $1,772.00 | $1,457.40 |
| 66 | $1,998.75 | $1,629.09 |
| 67 | $2,234.41 | $1,801.82 |
| 68 | $2,272.40 | $1,836.58 |
| 69 | $2,321.96 | $1,876.96 |
| 70 | $2,529.62 | $2,024.08 |
How these benefits fit into retirement planning
The higher average for men largely reflects long-standing differences in lifetime earnings and time spent in paid work. Individual histories vary, but those broader trends still shape the benefit picture for each age group.
A 65-year-old man is expected to live about 18 more years, while a woman that age is expected to live about 21 more years, according to the SSA. That means men’s benefits often replace a larger share of their retirement costs, while women may need to stretch smaller checks over more years.
A cost-of-living adjustment of 3.6% is scheduled to take effect later, but the figures above do not include it yet. That increase would add about $91 a month to the $2,529.62 average for 70-year-old men. Full retirement age varies from 66 to 67 depending on birth year, and it is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.
What married men should weigh before filing
Married workers can claim a spousal benefit based on a partner’s record while that partner is alive, and a survivor benefit after a spouse dies. Those payments only apply if they are larger than the worker’s own retirement benefit.
Because women have historically had fewer years in the workforce and lower average earnings, they are more likely to rely on spousal or survivor benefits. That also means married men should think through how their claiming decision could affect their spouse.
A spouse cannot receive a spousal benefit until the worker begins collecting retirement benefits, so one person’s filing age can affect the other’s. Couples should compare options and stay aligned on when each partner plans to file. If plans change later, both partners should revisit the decision together.
For more on how Social Security affects retirement, see this guide.
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