The Full Retirement Age is still rising, but the schedule hasn't changed
Your full retirement age — the age at which Social Security pays you 100 percent of your benefit — depends on the year you were born. For people born in 1960 or later, that age is 67. For people born between 1943 and 1954, it remains 66. If you were born between 1955 and 1959, your full retirement age falls somewhere in between, increasing by a few months for each year of birth.
There are no changes to this schedule for 2025. The age increases that Congress set in 1983 continue on the same timeline they have followed for decades. You can still claim Social Security as early as age 62, though your monthly payment will be permanently reduced. You can also wait until age 70 to claim, which increases your monthly payment by 8 percent for each year you delay past your full retirement age.
What has changed in 2025 is the dollar amount of the average benefit and the income limit that affects how much you can earn while still receiving benefits. These changes happen every year and are tied to inflation and wage growth.
Key Takeaways
- Full retirement age continues to increase gradually for people born after 1954, reaching 67 for those born in 1960 or later — no change from previous years.
- You can claim Social Security at 62, but your monthly benefit will be reduced by roughly 30 percent compared to waiting until full retirement age.
- Waiting until age 70 increases your monthly benefit by 24 percent total compared to claiming at full retirement age.
- The 2025 earnings limit for people under full retirement age is $23,400 per year; Social Security deducts $1 from your benefit for every $2 you earn above this amount.
- Once you reach full retirement age, you can earn any amount without losing benefits.
How the full retirement age schedule works
Congress set the current full retirement age schedule in 1983 as part of a broader fix to Social Security's finances. The age was 65 at that time. Starting in 2000, it began increasing by two months per year for people born in 1943 through 1954, reaching 66. It then paused for three years, then resumed increasing by two months per year for people born in 1955 through 1959, reaching 67 for those born in 1960 and later.
This schedule is locked in. There are no further increases planned beyond age 67. If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67, and it will not change. If you were born between 1955 and 1959, you can find your exact full retirement age in the Social Security Administration's official chart on their website.
Your full retirement age matters because it determines when you can claim your full benefit amount without any reduction. It also determines when you can earn unlimited income without losing any benefits.
Claiming before full retirement age and the earnings test
You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, but doing so permanently reduces your monthly benefit. The reduction is roughly 30 percent if you claim at 62 and your full retirement age is 67. The exact percentage depends on how many months early you claim.
If you claim before reaching full retirement age and you continue working, Social Security applies an earnings test. For 2025, if you earn more than $23,400 per year, Social Security deducts $1 from your benefits for every $2 you earn above that limit. This continues until the month you reach full retirement age.
Once you reach your full retirement age, the earnings test no longer applies. You can earn any amount without losing benefits. This is true even if you claimed early — the earnings test only affects you during the years between when you claim and when you reach full retirement age.
Delaying past full retirement age increases your benefit
If you wait to claim Social Security past your full retirement age, your monthly benefit increases by 8 percent for each year you delay, up until age 70. This means if your full retirement age is 67 and you wait until 70, your monthly benefit will be 24 percent higher than it would have been at 67.
This increase is permanent and applies to your benefit for the rest of your life. It also increases the benefit your surviving spouse or children may receive if you pass away. For people who expect to live a long time, or who have other income sources and do not need Social Security when ready, delaying can result in a much larger total benefit over a lifetime.
You cannot increase your benefit by waiting past age 70. At that point, the increase stops, so there is no financial reason to delay claiming beyond 70.
The 2025 benefit amount and cost-of-living adjustment
The average Social Security retirement benefit for 2025 is $1,907 per month. This is the amount the Social Security Administration reports as the typical payment for a retired worker. Your actual benefit will depend on your earnings history and the age at which you claim.
This average increased because of the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. The COLA is calculated each year based on inflation. It affects not only new benefits but also the benefits of people already receiving Social Security. The COLA for 2025 was 2.5 percent, which means benefits increased by that percentage compared to 2024.
The COLA changes every year. It is not something you control or something that happens on a fixed schedule — it depends on inflation data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in October of each year.
How to find your full retirement age and estimate your benefit
The Social Security Administration publishes a full retirement age chart on its website that shows the exact age based on your birth year. You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to ask about your full retirement age.
To estimate what your benefit would be at different claiming ages, you can create a my Social Security account on the Social Security Administration's website. This account shows your actual earnings record and provides estimates based on your real work history. The estimates show what you would receive if you claimed at 62, at full retirement age, and at 70.
These estimates assume you continue working at your current rate until you claim. If your earnings change, the estimate will change. The Social Security Administration updates your account each year with new earnings information.
What has not changed in 2025
The full retirement age schedule remains exactly as it has been. The earliest claiming age remains 62. The latest age to claim for benefit increases remains 70. The rules about how much you can earn while claiming before full retirement age, and the rules about spousal and survivor benefits, have not changed.
Congress would need to pass new legislation to change any of these rules. Proposals to change the full retirement age, the earliest claiming age, or the earnings test appear in Congress regularly, but no changes have been enacted into law for 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is my full retirement age if I was born in 1957?
If you were born in 1957, your full retirement age is 66 and 10 months. The Social Security Administration's official chart shows the exact age for each birth month. You can also find this information in your my Social Security account online.
If I claim at 62, will my benefit ever increase?
Your monthly benefit amount will not increase because you claimed early. However, it will increase each year by the COLA, just like benefits for people who claimed at a later age. The permanent reduction from claiming early stays in place for your entire life.
Can I work and receive Social Security at the same time before full retirement age?
Yes, but if you earn more than $23,400 in 2025, Social Security will reduce your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above that limit. Once you reach full retirement age, you can earn any amount without losing benefits. The earnings limit changes each year based on wage growth.
Does the 2025 COLA explore to people already receiving benefits?
Yes. The 2.5 percent COLA for 2025 applies to everyone receiving Social Security retirement, disability, or survivor benefits. Your benefit increased by 2.5 percent in January 2025 compared to what you received in December 2024.
What happens if I delay claiming past age 70?
Your benefit does not increase further. The 8 percent annual increase stops at age 70. There is no financial benefit to waiting past 70 to claim, though you can delay if you choose to.