If you’re age 62, your Social Security check is likely smaller than average. The typical benefit for people who are 62 is $1,424.40 per month, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA) as of December 2025, the most recent data available. That figure sits well below the overall average because 62 is the earliest age at which to claim.
Choosing to claim at 62 comes with a permanent cost. If your full retirement age (FRA) is 67, applying at 62 reduces your monthly check by 30%. FRA ranges from 66 to 67, depending on your birth year, and it’s 67 for everyone born in 1960 or later.
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Average benefits for 62-year-olds
The average benefit among men who are 62 is $1,572.83, while the average among women is $1,285.50. This represents a monthly gender gap of $287.33. These variations often stem from differences in lifetime earnings and work history across the decades.
The SSA calculates your benefit by averaging your wages across your 35 highest-earning years. It adjusts those earlier wages for inflation before applying a formula to determine your primary insurance amount (PIA). If you have fewer than 35 years of work, the SSA includes zeros in the calculation, which can reduce your benefit.
AgeOverallMenWomen62$1,424.40$1,572.83$1,285.50The trade-off of claiming early
Claiming at 62 is a trade-off where you receive smaller checks for a longer period. The difference between claiming early and waiting is stark. The average benefit for 70-year-olds is $2,274.68 per month, which is $850.28 higher than the age-62 average.
That gap amounts to an extra $10,203.36 per year for those who wait until 70. You tend to receive roughly the same total over your lifetime regardless of when you claim, if you live an average lifespan. At age 65, men are expected to live about 18 more years, while women are expected to live about 21 more years.
A 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will take effect in 2027. This adjustment will add about $51 a month on top of the average age-62 benefit.
Social Security was designed to replace only 40% of your pre-retirement income, and most retirees need much more than that to cover their costs. Many people claim at 62 because they need immediate cash flow after stopping work. If you have a thin retirement nest egg, the $1,424.40 average serves as a realistic benchmark for the floor of your retirement income.
When claiming Social Security at 62 makes sense
Claiming at 62 makes sense if you cannot afford to delay Social Security until later. This might be the case if you’re unable to work longer due to health issues or family caretaking obligations. Some people also just want to retire earlier and are willing to accept the trade-off of a smaller lifetime benefit.
Early claiming is also a popular decision among those with short life expectancies. Delaying Social Security, in this case, runs the risk that you might pass away before you get anything from the program. However, some married individuals and those with dependents do exactly this to increase the survivor benefits available to their family members after they die.
You may also want to apply early if you’re married and your spouse has earned significantly more than you throughout their career. Your checks might help them delay their benefits until they qualify for a larger amount. Then, when they sign up, you can switch to a spousal benefit if it’s worth more than your own retirement checks.
For more on how Social Security affects your retirement, see this guide.