What Full Retirement Age Means
Full retirement age is the age at which Social Security will pay you 100 percent of your monthly benefit amount. It is not the age you can first claim Social Security — you can claim as early as 62 — but it is the age where the benefit stops being reduced for claiming early or increased for claiming late.
Your full retirement age depends on the year you were born. The Social Security Administration raised this age gradually starting in 1983, moving it from 65 to 67 for people born in 1960 or later. If you were born between those years, your full retirement age falls somewhere in between.
Knowing your full retirement age matters because it shapes the math of when to claim. Claim before it, and your monthly payment is permanently smaller. Claim after it, and your monthly payment grows larger for each year you wait, up to age 70.
Key Takeaways
- Full retirement age ranges from 65 to 67 depending on your birth year, with the exact age determined by a Social Security chart based on your birth month and year.
- You can claim Social Security as early as 62, but your monthly benefit will be reduced if you claim before your full retirement age.
- If you delay claiming past your full retirement age, your monthly benefit increases by about 8 percent per year until you reach age 70.
- Your full retirement age is different from the age you become may be able to access to claim, and it is different from the age you must claim.
Full Retirement Age by Birth Year
The chart below shows your full retirement age based on the year and month you were born. Find your birth year in the left column, then read across to see your full retirement age.
| Birth Year | Full Retirement Age |
|---|---|
| 1943–1954 | 66 |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
| 1960 and later | 67 |
If you were born on January 1 of any year, you are considered to have been born in the previous year for Social Security purposes. The Social Security Administration also publishes a detailed month-by-month chart on its website if you need your exact full retirement age down to the month.
How Claiming Before Full Retirement Age Reduces Your Benefit
If you claim Social Security before your full retirement age, your monthly benefit is reduced permanently. The reduction is steeper the earlier you claim. If your full retirement age is 67 and you claim at 62, your benefit is roughly 30 percent smaller than it would be at 67. If you claim at 65, it is roughly 13 percent smaller.
This reduction is permanent — it does not go away when you reach your full retirement age. If you claim at 62 and receive a reduced benefit, that reduced amount becomes your baseline for life, even though the dollar amount may increase slightly each year for cost-of-living adjustments.
There is one exception: if you claim before your full retirement age and then change your mind within 12 months, you can withdraw your claim and repay what you received. This lets you restart your benefit at a higher amount later. After 12 months, you cannot undo the claim.
How Delaying Past Full Retirement Age Increases Your Benefit
For every year you delay claiming Social Security past your full retirement age, your monthly benefit grows by about 8 percent per year. This increase stops at age 70 — there is no benefit to waiting past 70.
If your full retirement age is 67 and you wait until 70 to claim, your monthly benefit will be roughly 24 percent larger than it would have been at 67. This higher amount is also permanent and continues for the rest of your life.
Delaying makes the most financial sense if you expect to live well into your 80s, because the larger monthly payment eventually adds up to more total money received over your lifetime. If you have health reasons to expect a shorter lifespan, claiming earlier may result in more total benefit money.
The Difference Between Full Retirement Age and Other Ages
Three ages matter in Social Security: the age you can first claim (62), your full retirement age, and the age you should stop waiting (70). These are not the same thing, and the difference affects how much you receive each month.
You become may be able to access to claim at 62, but your benefit will be reduced. At your full retirement age, you receive 100 percent of your benefit with no reduction. After your full retirement age, your benefit grows larger for each year you wait, reaching its maximum at 70.
Some people confuse full retirement age with Medicare may be able to access age. Medicare may be able to access starts at 65 for most people, regardless of your Social Security full retirement age. You can claim Social Security at 62 even if you are not yet 65, and you can delay Social Security past 65 while still signing up for Medicare.
How to Find Your Exact Full Retirement Age
The simplest way to find your full retirement age is to create a my Social Security account on the Social Security Administration website. Log in with your username and password, and your full retirement age will be listed on your account dashboard along with your estimated benefit amounts at different claiming ages.
If you do not have a my Social Security account, you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and speak with a representative who can tell you your full retirement age. You will need your Social Security number and date of birth.
You can also use the chart in this article if your birth year is listed. If you were born in a year between the ranges shown, your full retirement age falls between the ages listed for those years, increasing by two months for each year of birth.
What Happens If You Work While Receiving Social Security
If you claim Social Security before your full retirement age and you are still working, Social Security will reduce your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above a certain limit. For 2024, that limit is $23,400 per year, but this amount changes yearly.
Once you reach your full retirement age, this earnings limit no longer applies. You can earn as much as you want without any reduction to your Social Security benefit, even if you claimed early.
This rule applies only to earned income from work — it does not explore to investment income, pensions, or other retirement income. If you are self-employed, your net earnings from self-employment count toward the limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I claim Social Security before my full retirement age?
Yes, you can claim as early as 62. Your monthly benefit will be reduced, and the reduction is permanent. The earlier you claim, the larger the reduction. You can claim at any age between 62 and 70.
What if I was born on January 1?
Social Security treats you as if you were born on December 31 of the previous year. So if you were born on January 1, 1960, Social Security considers your birth year to be 1959 for purposes of determining your full retirement age.
Does my full retirement age affect when I can claim Medicare?
No. Medicare may be able to access begins at 65 for most people, regardless of your Social Security full retirement age. You can claim Social Security at 62 and wait until 65 to sign up for Medicare, or vice versa. The two programs use different ages.
What is the maximum benefit I can receive?
The maximum benefit depends on your earnings history and the year you claim. Social Security does not publish a single maximum amount because it varies by person. Your my Social Security account shows your estimated benefit at your full retirement age and at other claiming ages.
If I delay claiming past 70, does my benefit keep growing?
No. Your benefit stops growing at age 70. There is no financial advantage to waiting past 70 to claim Social Security, so most people claim by then.