US Social Security Estimator
Estimate your monthly retirement benefit and see how claiming at 62, 67, or 70 changes it.
Your details
Used as a proxy for your lifetime average earnings.
Full Retirement Age is 67 for anyone born 1960 or later.
See your benefit — and when to claim it
Social Security is the foundation of most American retirements. Estimate your monthly check and the big trade-off: claim early for longer, or wait for more.
2025 PIA formula
Uses the official 2025 bend points (90% / 32% / 15%) to estimate your Primary Insurance Amount — the benefit at full retirement age.
Claiming-age comparison
Instantly see your monthly benefit at 62, 67, and 70, with the permanent reductions and delayed-retirement credits applied.
The early-claim cost
See how claiming at 62 cuts your benefit ~30% for life, and how waiting to 70 adds ~24% over the age-67 figure.
Plan total income
Pair the result with your 401(k) and IRA projections to build a complete picture of retirement income.
PDF summary
Download a clean estimate showing your benefit by claiming age for your retirement-planning file.
100% private
Everything runs in your browser — your salary never leaves your device.
Who uses it
Pre-retirees
Estimate your benefit as you plan the timing of retirement.
Claiming decisions
Weigh the 62-vs-67-vs-70 trade-off for your situation.
Income planning
Combine with 401(k)/IRA projections for a full retirement-income picture.
Couples
Compare each spouse's benefit to coordinate claiming strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is my Social Security benefit calculated?
The Social Security Administration averages your highest 35 years of inflation-indexed earnings to get your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME), then applies a progressive formula with "bend points." For 2025, you get 90% of the first $1,226 of AIME, 32% of the amount between $1,226 and $7,391, and 15% above that. The result is your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) — the monthly benefit at full retirement age.
Why does this estimate use my current salary?
The official calculation needs your entire 35-year earnings record, which only the SSA has. This tool uses your current salary as a simplified proxy for your career-average earnings, which gives a reasonable ballpark for someone with fairly steady pay. If your earnings have varied a lot, or you had years out of work, your real benefit could differ — check your official statement at ssa.gov/myaccount.
What is full retirement age (FRA)?
Full retirement age is when you qualify for 100% of your calculated benefit. For anyone born in 1960 or later it is 67. You can claim as early as 62 (with a permanent reduction) or as late as 70 (with permanent increases). FRA is the pivot point the whole adjustment system is built around.
Should I claim at 62, 67, or 70?
It depends on your health, finances, and other income. Claiming at 62 gives smaller checks for longer; waiting to 70 gives the largest possible check but you receive it for fewer years. The "break-even" age is typically the late 70s to early 80s — if you expect to live beyond that, delaying usually pays more in total. Married couples should also coordinate, since survivor benefits are based on the higher earner's amount.
How much does claiming early or late change my benefit?
Claiming at 62 instead of 67 permanently reduces your benefit by about 30%. Delaying past 67 earns delayed retirement credits of 8% per year up to age 70, so claiming at 70 gives roughly 24% more than at 67. These adjustments are permanent — they apply for the rest of your life — which is why the timing decision matters so much.
Is Social Security taxable?
It can be. Depending on your "combined income" (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half your Social Security), up to 50% or 85% of your benefit may be subject to federal income tax. Some states also tax benefits. This estimator shows the gross benefit before any tax. Factor taxation in when planning your retirement income.
Understanding Social Security Benefits
Social Security provides the backbone of retirement income for most Americans, replacing roughly 40% of pre-retirement earnings for an average worker. Yet the rules around how benefits are calculated and when to claim them are widely misunderstood — and the claiming decision is one of the most consequential financial choices you will ever make, because it is largely irreversible.
How your benefit is built
The Social Security Administration takes your highest 35 years of earnings, indexes them for wage inflation, and averages them into your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME). It then applies a progressive formula with two "bend points." In 2025, you receive 90% of the first $1,226 of AIME, 32% of the next slice up to $7,391, and 15% above that. The progressive design means lower earners get a higher percentage of their earnings replaced than high earners — Social Security is deliberately tilted to provide a stronger safety net at the bottom.
Why 35 years matters
Because the formula uses exactly 35 years, any years you did not work (or earned little) count as zeros in the average, dragging your benefit down. Working additional years at a good salary can replace those zeros and raise your AIME. This is why some people work a little longer specifically to push low-earning early years out of their top 35 — and why a simplified estimate based on current salary can overstate the benefit of someone with gaps in their record.
The claiming-age decision
You can claim as early as 62 or as late as 70. Claiming before full retirement age (67 for those born in 1960 or later) permanently reduces your benefit — about 30% less at 62. Delaying past 67 earns delayed retirement credits of 8% per year, so waiting until 70 gives roughly 24% more. These adjustments last for life. The math favors delaying if you expect a long life and can afford to wait, but claiming earlier can make sense if you need the income, have health concerns, or can invest the early checks.
Spousal and survivor benefits
Married couples have extra considerations. A lower-earning spouse can claim up to 50% of the higher earner's FRA benefit if that exceeds their own. More importantly, when one spouse dies, the survivor keeps the larger of the two benefits — which is a powerful reason for the higher earner to delay claiming, since it permanently raises the survivor benefit too. Coordinating the two claiming dates can add tens of thousands of dollars over a retirement.
Using this estimate wisely
Treat this calculator as a planning ballpark, not a promise. It simplifies the 35-year earnings history into a single salary figure, so it is most accurate for steady earners and less so for those with variable careers. For the authoritative number, create an account at ssa.gov/myaccount, where the SSA shows your actual earnings record and benefit estimates at each claiming age. Combine that figure with your 401(k), IRA, and other savings to see whether your projected retirement income meets your needs — and to decide when claiming makes the most sense for you.