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Understanding the average retirement benefits by age can help you better plan for your financial future. At the same time, it’s important to understand your own benefit amount will depend on how much you’ve earned, how long you worked and the age at which you claimed your benefit, among other potential factors.
While you generally can claim a reduced benefit well before the age of 70, you might find it beneficial to delay your claim and receive a higher amount. Here’s a closer look at what you might expect in benefits at age 70.
Looking at Benefits
As of June 2025, the average Social Security monthly check for retired workers was $2,005.05, according to the Social Security Administration’s Monthly Statistical Snapshot. Kiplinger analyzed SSA information and found the average monthly benefit for retirees at age 70 was $2,176.76.
“Up to 85% of Social Security benefits may be taxable, depending on income from other sources, such as IRAs or part-time work,” said Shanli Liu, founder of FreedomFolio.
Working on Better Budgeting
According to Liu, one major win when it comes to better retirement budgeting is converting pre-tax retirement funds, such as traditional IRAs and 401(k)s to Roth accounts, in the early retirement years between ages 62 and 70, when income is often at a natural low.
“This reduces future required minimum distributions and protects Social Security from unnecessary taxation,” Liu said.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Liu said one common planning pitfall is underestimating how long retirement lasts. “Planning to age 85 is outdated. We plan to age 92 by default, and that extra decade dramatically reshapes how safe a drawdown strategy is.”
Another common mistake, according to Liu, is keeping all retirement assets in pre-tax buckets. “Tax diversity matters more than asset diversity once the paychecks stop,” according to Liu.