Data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) shows that women’s average benefits run lower than men’s across every age bracket. Here’s a closer look at the specific figures for retired workers and the factors that contribute to the difference.
As of December 2025, according to the SSA, the overall average benefit for women was $1,872.43 per month. Men averaged $2,282.28 per month during the same period, creating a monthly gap of $409.85 between the two groups.
| Age | Women’s average | Men’s average |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | $1,285.50 | $1,572.83 |
| 63 | $1,300.20 | $1,580.81 |
| 64 | $1,342.07 | $1,624.93 |
| 65 | $1,457.40 | $1,772.00 |
| 66 | $1,629.09 | $1,998.75 |
| 67 | $1,801.82 | $2,234.41 |
| 68 | $1,836.58 | $2,272.40 |
| 69 | $1,876.96 | $2,321.96 |
| 70 | $2,024.08 | $2,529.62 |
The difference in benefits generally reflects historical variations in lifetime earnings and years in the paid workforce. These factors directly influence the size of your monthly check because of how the government calculates the benefit.
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How the Social Security Administration calculates your benefits
The SSA bases your benefit on an average of your monthly wages across your 35 highest-earning years. Those earlier wages are adjusted for inflation and run through the primary insurance amount (PIA) formula. Full retirement age ranges from 66 to 67, depending on your birth year, and it’s 67 for everyone born in 1960 or later.
A woman who is 65 today is expected to live about 21 more years, while a man of the same age is expected to live about 18 more years. Because of this difference in longevity, women’s lower average benefits typically have to last longer in retirement.
Social Security was designed to replace only about 40% of your pre-retirement income. This share is well short of what most retirees need to cover their costs. As a result, many retirees rely on savings or other income sources to maintain their standard of living.
A 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) took effect in 2026. For a woman receiving the age-70 average benefit, that adjustment adds about $57 per month to the quoted amount. COLAs are designed to help benefits keep pace with inflation, though they don’t always cover every rising cost.
The dollar gap between the genders is widest at the oldest ages in the table, but the financial picture may look different for some women claiming spousal or survivor benefits.
How women can get more from Social Security
Married women may be eligible to claim a spousal benefit on their partner’s work record. This is worth up to one-half of the amount your partner qualifies for at their FRA. If this is larger than your own retirement benefit, that could reduce the amount of retirement expenses that you must pay on your own.
You may be able to claim a spousal benefit on your ex’s work record if you were married for at least 10 years before divorcing and you have not remarried. It doesn’t matter if your ex has. You must also have been divorced for at least two years if your ex isn’t on Social Security yet.
Widows may be eligible for survivor benefits on their deceased spouse’s work record if this is worth more than their own retirement benefit. This could be worth up to 100% of the amount their deceased spouse qualified for or was receiving at the time of their death. Contact the Social Security Administration to learn whether you qualify and how to apply for these benefits.
Single women may be able to increase their checks by waiting longer to apply. Every month you delay your Social Security application gradually increases your checks until you qualify for your largest benefit at age 70.
For more on how Social Security affects your retirement, see this guide.
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