Social Security break-even calculator
Starting later means bigger checks but fewer of them. This shows the age at which waiting comes out ahead. For someone born in 1960 or later, waiting from 62 to 67 pulls ahead at about 78 and 8 months.
Age when starting at 67 passes starting at 62
78 and 8 months
- Starting at 70 passes starting at full retirement age at
- 82 and 6 months
- Starting at 70 passes starting at 62 at
- 80 and 5 months
- Monthly benefit at 62
- $1,400.00
- Monthly benefit at 67
- $2,000.00
- Monthly benefit at 70
- $2,480.00
Totals are in today's dollars: no cost-of-living increases, no taxes, and no interest on money received earlier.
Total collected by age
| By age | Start at 62 | Start at 67 | Start at 70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | $134,400 | $72,000 | $0 |
| 75 | $218,400 | $192,000 | $148,800 |
| 80 | $302,400 | $312,000 | $297,600 |
| 85 | $386,400 | $432,000 | $446,400 |
| 90 | $470,400 | $552,000 | $595,200 |
| 95 | $554,400 | $672,000 | $744,000 |
How the break-even is worked out
The person who starts at 62 gets a head start: years of smaller checks before the later starter gets anything. The later starter then closes the gap a little every month, by the difference between the two checks. The break-even age is the month the running totals meet.
The benefit amounts come from the Social Security Administration: its table of reductions for starting at 62, and the credit of 2/3 of 1% for each month you wait past full retirement age, up to 70.
What it leaves out
The totals ignore cost-of-living increases, which raise all three lines, and taxes. They also say nothing about how long you will live or what a spouse would receive. The agency's own advice is that each person's situation is different.
Questions people ask
What is the break-even age for Social Security?
For someone born in 1960 or later, starting at 67 passes starting at 62 at about 78 and 8 months, and starting at 70 passes starting at 67 at about 82 and 6 months. These totals leave out cost-of-living increases and taxes.
How much bigger is the benefit at 70 than at 62?
For someone born in 1960 or later, a benefit of $1,000 at full retirement age is about $700 at 62 and $1,240 at 70.
Does the break-even age include cost-of-living increases?
No. The totals are in today's dollars, with no cost-of-living increases, no taxes and no interest on money received earlier.
Check our work
Every figure on this page was read from these official documents. Follow the links and compare.
- Retirement Age and Benefit ReductionSocial Security Administration. Read on November 12, 2026.
- Delayed Retirement CreditsSocial Security Administration. Read on November 12, 2026.