SSA reported an average monthly retired-worker benefit of $2,071.30 for December 2025. Its July 2026 snapshot reported $2,085.98. These are averages for specific months and beneficiary groups, not an annual average, a guaranteed payment or the amount everyone takes home.
Compare the same beneficiary group
| Beneficiary group | December 2025 | July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Retired workers | $2,071.30 | $2,085.98 |
| All Social Security beneficiaries | $1,923.03 | $1,940.08 |
Sources: SSA's December 2025 snapshot, Table 2, and the July 2026 snapshot, Table 2. The latter page is updated over time; the figures quoted here are specifically for July 2026.
The all-beneficiary average includes other categories, such as disabled workers, survivors and eligible family members. It answers a different question from the retired-worker average. Neither figure is an average for a married household, and doubling one of them is not a reliable way to estimate a couple's benefits.
The COLA and the changing average are different measures
The COLA was 2.5% for benefits paid beginning in January 2025 and 2.8% for those paid beginning in January 2026. It uses CPI-W under the current formula. See SSA's COLA information and historical table.
A changing group average also reflects who enters or leaves the beneficiary population and adjustments to individual records. Do not try to infer the official COLA by dividing two monthly averages. For your budget, use the adjustment on your own benefit notice.
Why your personal payment can differ
The retirement benefit formula generally uses the highest 35 years of indexed earnings. Your claiming age also affects the resulting payment. The national average does not incorporate your particular earnings record or intended start date. SSA explains the mechanics in its benefit calculation overview.
For people born in 1943 or later, delayed retirement credits increase their own retirement benefit by 8% per year after full retirement age, up to age 70. That does not mean an 8% increase for every year of delay starting at 62. Check the delayed-credit rules and compare estimates for specific months.
Use the net deposit for a spending budget
Your benefit amount and bank deposit can differ because of deductions. Record the gross benefit, Medicare premiums, tax withholding and net deposit separately. If you budget from the net deposit, do not subtract the same premiums again. For current premium figures, see our Medicare cost comparison.
As an illustration, a household with $3,600 in combined monthly net benefit deposits and $4,500 in spending has a $900 monthly gap. That is $10,800 over twelve months before irregular costs. Use the actual household deposits, not twice the national retired-worker average, for this calculation.
Check your record before making a claiming decision
A my Social Security account lets you review earnings and obtain personalized estimates. Check assumptions about future work as well as the claiming date. If an estimate uses wages you do not expect to earn, it may not match your retirement plan.
- Record the month and beneficiary category whenever comparing statistics.
- Review estimates for each member of the household separately.
- Compare spending needs during any delay with savings available to fund them.
- Recheck the plan after a major work, health or family change.
Use the average as context, then build your plan around your own records. Our guide to coordinating pensions and Social Security can help organize the income side.
View changes from the September 2026 update
- Replaced speculative 2025 averages with dated SSA statistics and a July 2026 comparison.
- Separated retired-worker benefits from averages across all beneficiaries and corrected the COLA discussion.
- Removed unsupported household-payment estimates and added guidance for using personal benefit statements.
