For Americans approaching retirement, what is full retirement age for Social Security is one of the most important questions to answer before choosing when to claim benefits. The age at which a worker reaches full retirement age depends on the year of birth, and the decision to start benefits can have a lasting effect on monthly retirement income.
Full retirement age is not the same as the earliest claiming age
Social Security retirement benefits can generally begin at age 62 for eligible workers. But age 62 is not considered full retirement age.
Starting benefits before full retirement age means accepting a permanent reduction in the monthly payment. The closer a person is to full retirement age when benefits begin, the smaller that reduction generally is.
For workers born in 1960 or later, the current full retirement age is 67.
People born earlier can have a lower full retirement age under the existing schedule.
Your birth year determines your full retirement age
The Social Security system uses a graduated schedule for determining when workers reach full retirement age.
For people born between 1943 and 1954, full retirement age is 66. It then increases by two months for each birth year from 1955 through 1959.
Those born in 1960 or later have a full retirement age of 67.
That schedule means a person cannot determine their Social Security claiming strategy simply by looking at their current age. Their birth year also matters.
The current full retirement age schedule
| Year of birth | 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 or later | 67 |
The schedule is particularly important for people nearing retirement because even a few months can affect when their unreduced retirement benefit becomes available.
Claiming at 62 can mean a smaller monthly check
Age 62 remains an important milestone because it is generally the earliest age at which retirement benefits can be claimed.
However, taking benefits that early can substantially reduce the monthly amount.
For a worker whose full retirement age is 67, claiming at 62 can result in a reduction of as much as 30% compared with the benefit available at full retirement age.
The reduction is not simply a temporary penalty for starting early. It generally affects the retirement benefit for the remainder of the beneficiary’s life.
That makes the decision especially important for people who expect Social Security to provide a large share of their retirement income.
Waiting can increase monthly benefits
There is another side to the claiming decision.
Workers who have reached full retirement age can postpone retirement benefits. For eligible individuals, delayed retirement credits can increase the monthly benefit for each additional month benefits are postponed, up to age 70.
Once a person reaches 70, delaying retirement benefits further does not produce additional delayed-retirement credits.
As a result, the period between full retirement age and 70 can be significant for people who are financially able to wait.
Full retirement age does not mean you must stop working
One of the most persistent misunderstandings about Social Security is that reaching full retirement age automatically means a person should retire.
It does not.
Full retirement age is primarily a Social Security benefit milestone. A worker can continue working after reaching that age.
For people who claim Social Security while working before full retirement age, an earnings test can affect benefits when earnings exceed the applicable annual limit.
That earnings test no longer applies once a beneficiary reaches full retirement age.
Continuing to work may also affect a person’s eventual benefit if additional earnings replace lower-income years in the Social Security benefit calculation.
Your benefit is based on more than age
Age is only one part of the retirement-benefit calculation.
A worker’s earnings history is also important. Social Security generally uses a worker’s highest 35 years of indexed earnings when calculating retirement benefits.
People with fewer than 35 years of covered earnings can have years with no earnings included in the calculation.
For someone who continues working, a new year of higher earnings may replace a lower year in the calculation and potentially raise the eventual benefit.
This means working longer can influence retirement planning independently of the decision about when to claim benefits.
Why couples need to look beyond individual benefits
Married couples may face additional considerations.
Each spouse can have a retirement benefit based on their own earnings record, while eligible spouses may also qualify for benefits connected to a spouse’s work history.
The timing of claims can therefore affect the household’s overall Social Security income.
Survivor benefits can also become an important consideration when one spouse has a substantially larger benefit.
Rather than viewing Social Security as two completely separate decisions, couples may want to consider how each person’s claiming age fits into their combined retirement-income strategy.
Full retirement age and age 70 serve different purposes
A useful way to understand the Social Security timeline is to separate three key ages.
At 62, eligible workers can generally begin retirement benefits, but an early-claiming reduction applies.
At full retirement age, a worker can receive the full scheduled retirement benefit without the reduction associated with claiming early.
At 70, delayed retirement credits stop increasing the retirement benefit.
These milestones create different financial choices rather than a single required retirement date.
Medicare has its own age and enrollment rules
Social Security and Medicare are often discussed together, but they do not use identical retirement-age rules.
Medicare eligibility generally begins around age 65 for eligible individuals, while Social Security’s full retirement age can be 66 or 67 depending on birth year.
Someone approaching 65 should therefore consider Medicare enrollment separately from the decision about when to claim Social Security.
Delaying Social Security does not necessarily mean delaying Medicare responsibilities.
There is no universal best claiming age
A higher monthly Social Security payment is not automatically the right choice for every retiree.
Someone with limited savings may need income sooner. Another person with substantial retirement assets may be able to postpone Social Security and seek a larger monthly benefit later.
Health, longevity expectations, employment, taxes, household expenses, marital status and other sources of income can all influence the decision.
The break-even point between different claiming ages can also vary significantly from one household to another.
For that reason, retirement planning often requires looking at the entire financial picture rather than focusing on one monthly benefit estimate.
What is full retirement age for Social Security in 2026?
For people born in 1960 or later, the answer remains 67 under the current schedule.
For those born from 1955 through 1959, the applicable age ranges from 66 years and two months to 66 years and 10 months.
Workers born from 1943 through 1954 have a full retirement age of 66.
Understanding that schedule is essential before comparing the financial consequences of claiming at 62, waiting until full retirement age or postponing benefits to age 70.
The bottom line for retirement planning
Social Security does not require Americans to retire at a particular age. Instead, its rules establish different benefit levels depending on when an eligible worker begins collecting retirement benefits.
For many current and future retirees, full retirement age is either 66 or 67, with the exact age determined by birth year.
Starting earlier can provide income sooner but permanently reduces the monthly benefit. Waiting can increase monthly income, with delayed retirement credits available until age 70.
The most important step is to know your individual full retirement age and understand how different claiming dates could affect your household finances before making a decision.