Retirement Social Security

This Is the Average Social Security Benefit for Someone Age 72

See how much the average 72-year-old retired worker gets and how you compare.

By Katy Willis

Edited by Amanda Machado

Updated Dec. 24, 2025

If you're 72, you've probably had Social Security in your life for a while now, either as a main retirement income stream or as a nice, steady base that takes care of some of the essentials. If your deposit seems lower or higher than that of friends and family, you're likely not imagining things.

Two people the same age can have wildly different checks. Everyone's benefit amount differs based on the year they claimed, how old they were when they claimed, and their 35-year earnings record.

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The average monthly Social Security benefit at 72

The average monthly Social Security benefit for a 72-year-old is $2,138.50. That equates to around $25,662 per year. The average is taken from the benefit amounts of 2.9 million 72-year-old retired workers. But that's the gross amount and doesn't take into consideration Medicare premiums or tax withholding.

There's also a noticeable gender gap in the data.

Men at 72 average $2,361.52 per month
Women at 72 average $1,918.96 per month

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How that compares to the average retiree's check

Across all retired workers, regardless of age, the average monthly benefit amount is $2005.05. The typical 72-year-old retired worker gets about $133 more per month than the overall retired-worker average.

That also means that someone getting the average 72-year-old check gets a bigger dollar bump with each cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) than someone getting the overall average. Remember, the 2.8% raise gets applied to the base benefit. The bigger the amount, the greater the dollar increase from the COLA.

Why the average at 72 can run higher than you'd expect

Some people locked in bigger checks by claiming later. Monthly benefits rise when you wait past full retirement age (FRA) by around 8% per year, up to age 70. So waiting to claim until you're 70 could give you an approximate 24% increase over filing at FRA.

Also, COLAs stack up over time. Even if you claimed at age 62, your benefit has been bumped by COLAs over the last 10 years. After each COLA, the new amount becomes your base benefit, and then the new COLA is applied to that new base, and so on. If you claimed at FRA or later and have multiple COLAs applied to that bigger starting amount, then your benefit amount could be much higher than the average.

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How your Social Security benefit is determined

Your personal Social Security benefit comes down to three main things: how much you earned throughout your career, the age at which you claim, and whether you're a primary or beneficiary collector.

Your earnings history

Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings, with wage indexing, to calculate your benefit. If you had years with low earnings or time out of the workforce, then those low-earning or zero-earning years can pull your average down.

This is a primary reason why many 72-year-old women receive less than their male counterparts. Traditionally, it was women who took time away from work to raise children.

Your claiming age

Claiming early generally lowers your monthly benefit. If you claim at 62 instead of FRA, you could reduce your monthly check by up to 30% for life. Waiting past full retirement age, up to age 70, increases your benefit by 8% per year. But there's no extra boost for delaying beyond age 70.

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Whether you're collecting on your own record or you're "dually entitled"

Some people receive a benefit that involves both their own retirement benefit and part of a spousal or survivor component. This is known as dual entitlement. 72-year-olds who were not dually entitled average $2,194.70 per month, while those who are dually entitled average $1,703.14.

Can your Social Security benefit increase after 72?

Yes, it can, but usually not by a huge amount. You'll generally keep getting annual COLAs applied to your base benefit. Even if nothing else changes, as long as inflation triggers a COLA, your benefit should grow a modest amount each time.

Working can also sometimes increase your check. If you earn enough in a new year of work, even at age 72 or above, to replace one of your lower-earning years in your top 35-year record, Social Security can recalculate and increase your base benefit.

Bottom line

The average Social Security benefit for a retired worker at age 72 is $2,138.50. But your own numbers may be significantly different. Your work history and filing age all have a huge impact on your Social Security check.

You can get more insight into your own numbers, including the new benefit amount you'll see in January 2026, by logging into your "my Social Security" account and viewing your COLA notice. This lets you budget with your exact net deposit and figure out how to maximize your senior benefits.

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