Where do I get my Social Security dollar estimate?
Federage shows ages and percentages, never dollars, because your payment depends on your lifetime earnings, which this site does not know. For your own dollar estimate, open my Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount, where SSA shows the benefit you could receive at different ages. Use the tools here for the ages and the percentage of the full benefit, then SSA’s account for the amount.
Three steps from the ages here to your dollar estimate
- Use the timeline and the early vs delayed page for the ages and the percentage of the full benefit at each start age.
- Open my Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount, SSA’s own account, and find the estimates for the ages you are comparing.
- Read how SSA calculates the payment on its Plan for Retirement page: the payment is based on your lifetime earnings and gets higher the longer you wait, up to age 70.
Why does this site leave out my dollar amount?
SSA calculates your Social Security payment from your lifetime earnings, and the amount is higher the longer you wait to apply, up until age 70. This site does not have your earnings record and does not ask for it, so any dollar figure here would be a guess. What it can give exactly is the age, the month and the percentage of the full benefit, and that percentage is the same for everyone born in the same year.
What does my Social Security account show?
It is SSA’s official account on ssa.gov. There you can see your own estimates of the benefit you could receive at different ages, which are based on your record. You sign in to it yourself; this site does not connect to it and cannot see what it shows.
How do I use this site and my SSA estimate together?
Start here to find the first month you can claim, the month you reach full retirement age and the percentage of the full benefit for each start age. Then open the estimate in my Social Security and compare the same start ages. The percentage tells you how the benefit changes with the start age; the account gives the dollar figure for your own record.
Do spouse and survivor benefits work the same way?
No. Spouse and survivor benefits follow other rules, and this site covers only the retirement benefit on your own record. SSA says a survivor’s full retirement age may be different, so do not use the ages here for a survivor benefit. For spouse and survivor amounts, use SSA’s own pages at ssa.gov.
Questions about your dollar estimate
Can I type my earnings here to get a dollar amount?
No. The tools have no field for earnings and no field for a Social Security number. The ages come from the birth date you enter, which stays in your browser.
Does waiting past 70 raise my estimate?
No. SSA says the benefit increase stops when you reach age 70, so waiting longer than that adds nothing to the benefit.
Why is the percentage the same for everyone born in the same year?
SSA applies the same reduction and credit rates to everyone with the same birth year, so the percentage of the full benefit is the same for them. The dollar amount still differs, because it is based on each person’s lifetime earnings.
What percentage do I get at 62 if I was born in 1960 or later?
SSA’s table gives 70% of the full benefit at exactly 62 and 124% at 70 for people born in 1960 or later. For most birth dates the first month you can be paid is 62 and 1 month, and the timeline shows that month for your date.
Is this page advice on when to claim?
No. It is general information from official sources. Which age suits you depends on your health, work, household and other income, which this site does not weigh.
Is the amount in my SSA account the one I will be paid?
This site cannot say. Your estimate in my Social Security is SSA’s calculation for your record and is the figure to use for planning; SSA decides your case when you apply.
Related tools
The ages and percentages behind your dollar estimate.
Retirement age timeline
Your ages 62, full retirement age, 65 and 70, month by month.Early vs delayed retirement
Percent of your benefit if you start early or wait, never dollars.Full retirement age chart
Social Security full retirement age by year of birth, with months.Medicare eligibility age
Your 7-month sign-up window and when coverage starts.FERS minimum retirement age
For federal employees: the minimum retirement age by birth year.
Sources: what this page states and where we read it
Table scrolls sideways: swipe it, or click it and use the left and right arrow keys →
| What the page says | Official page and where on it | Opened |
|---|---|---|
| For a dollar estimate, use your my Social Security account; the payment is calculated from your lifetime earnings. | SSA: Plan for Retirement (benefit estimate)Page introduction | |
| The increase for waiting stops at age 70. | SSA: Delayed Retirement CreditsPage introduction | |
| The benefit is reduced 5/9 of 1% for each month before full retirement age, up to 36 months, and 5/12 of 1% for each month beyond 36. | SSA: Early or Late Retirement? (Actuarial Services)Section “Early retirement reduces benefits” | |
| The benefit as a percentage of the full amount at 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 and 70, for every year of birth from 1937. | SSA: Effect of Early or Delayed Retirement on Retirement BenefitsTable “Benefit, as a percentage of Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), payable at ages 62-67 and age 70” | |
| You must be 62 for the whole month to be paid for it. | SSA: Starting Your Retirement Benefits EarlyNotes under the chart | |
| These ages are for retirement benefits; a survivor’s full retirement age may be different. | SSA: Starting Your Retirement Benefits EarlyBox “Related Information” |
General information from official sources, not advice. Rules can change by law, and the agency decides your case. Confirm your dates with the Social Security Administration, Medicare or the Office of Personnel Management before you decide. Nothing you type leaves your browser.