Monthly benefit by claiming age
Claiming early locks in a permanent cut; waiting locks in a permanent boost.
Home / US Calculators / Social Security
Retirement
Social Security Calculator
Estimate your monthly Social Security retirement benefit from your average career earnings, and see how much claiming at 62, full retirement age, or 70 changes your check.
Estimated monthly benefit
$2,311
Benefit at full retirement age (PIA)—
Adjustment for claiming age—
Estimated annual benefit—
Lifetime by age 85—
How the Social Security benefit formula works
The Social Security Administration bases your retirement benefit on your AIME (Average Indexed Monthly Earnings), the average of your highest 35 years of earnings, indexed for wage growth and divided by 12. AIME feeds into a bend-point formula that produces your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), the monthly benefit you'd get if you claimed at your full retirement age (FRA), 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. This tool uses the 2025 bend points, the most recent published by the SSA.
Claim before FRA and the benefit is permanently reduced; claim after FRA (up to 70) and it's permanently increased through delayed retirement credits. Because the reduction and increase are both locked in for life, the claiming-age decision is one of the biggest levers in retirement planning.
The formula
AIME = average annual earnings ÷ 12
PIA = 90% × (AIME up to $1,226)
+ 32% × (AIME between $1,226 and $7,391)
+ 15% × (AIME above $7,391)
claim early (FRA 67): reduce 5/9% per month for the first 36 months, then 5/12% per month
claim late (past FRA, up to 70): add 2/3% per month (8% per year)
PIA = 90% × (AIME up to $1,226)
+ 32% × (AIME between $1,226 and $7,391)
+ 15% × (AIME above $7,391)
claim early (FRA 67): reduce 5/9% per month for the first 36 months, then 5/12% per month
claim late (past FRA, up to 70): add 2/3% per month (8% per year)
Worked example
With $60,000 of average annual earnings, AIME is $5,000/month. PIA = 90% × $1,226 + 32% × ($5,000 − $1,226) = $1,103 + $1,208 = $2,311/month at full retirement age (67). Claim at 62 instead and the 30% early-claiming reduction brings it to about $1,618/month. Wait until 70 and the 24% delayed-credit boost raises it to about $2,866/month, roughly $1,248 a month more than claiming at 62, for life.
Bend points used (2025)
| AIME bracket | Share counted toward PIA |
|---|---|
| First $1,226 | 90% |
| $1,226 to $7,391 | 32% |
| Above $7,391 | 15% |
Frequently asked questions
How is my Social Security benefit calculated?
From your highest 35 years of earnings (AIME) run through a bend-point formula to get your PIA, then adjusted for your claiming age.
What is full retirement age (FRA)?
The age you get 100% of your PIA, 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.
How much does claiming at 62 reduce my benefit?
About 30% lower than your FRA benefit, permanently, if your FRA is 67.
How much more do I get by waiting until 70?
About 24% more than your FRA benefit, roughly 77% more than claiming at 62.
Does this include spousal or survivor benefits?
No, this covers your own retirement benefit only.
Is this an official SSA estimate?
No, it's a planning estimate. For your official record, check ssa.gov.