The Average Social Security Check Is $2,086 in 2026. Here’s How Yours Stacks Up
Your Social Security check might be falling short without you realizing why, and the gap between what you collect now and what you could collect may be larger than you think.
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There are millions of older Americans today who collect benefits from Social Security. And for some people, those benefits represent all of their retirement income.
If you’re already retired, you may be wondering how your Social Security checks compare to the average. And if you’re not yet retired, you may be wondering if there’s anything you can do to boost your Social Security benefits. Here’s the scoop.
What the average Social Security check looks like today
Today’s average Social Security benefit for retired workers is $2,086. On an annual basis, that’s about $25,000.
If you’re a retiree who collects a larger benefit than that, it may be that you were a higher earner during your career or that you waited to file for benefits.
Social Security becomes available starting at age 62. But your benefits are reduced if you file prior to full retirement age (FRA), which is 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
You can also grow your Social Security benefits by delaying your claim past FRA. Each year you wait gives your monthly checks an 8% increase, up until age 70.
How to score a larger Social Security benefit
If you’re already retired and see that your monthly Social Security check is well below the average benefit, there may actually be steps you can take to get more money each month.
First, if you didn’t have a 35-year work history prior to claiming benefits, working part-time in retirement could lead to larger checks. That’s because Social Security takes your 35 highest-paid years of earnings into account when calculating your benefits.
If you have missing years of income within that 35-year timeframe, a $0 gets factored in for each year that’s devoid of earnings. So if you can replace some $0 income years with part-time wages even once you’ve started collecting Social Security, you can potentially boost your checks.
Another option for getting more Social Security may be to undo an early claim. If you’re within 12 months of filing, you can withdraw your application for benefits and repay all of the money in Social Security you collected. Once you do that, you should be allowed to file at a later point, which could allow you to lock in larger monthly payments.
If you’re still working and want more Social Security once you’re ready to claim benefits, plan to wait until at least FRA to file, if not beyond. Also do what you can to boost your wages, since the amount of money you earn will help dictate how much Social Security you get.
One thing to know is that gig work counts toward Social Security as long as you report that income and pay taxes on it, which you’re required to do regardless. So even if you can’t grow your paycheck at your main job, if you earn an extra $500 or $1,000 a month freelancing, that could get factored into your Social Security checks as well.
Finally, aim for a 35-year work history to avoid having $0 income years factored into your benefit formula. If you’re 62, for example, with only 32 years of income under your belt, working three more years could lead to larger benefits in two ways. It gives you a more robust earnings history, and it means not filing for Social Security quite as early.
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Maurie Backman has more than a decade of experience writing about financial topics, including retirement, investing, Social Security, and real estate. Her work has appeared on sites that include The Motley Fool, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, and Kiplinger.
Prior to becoming a full-time financial writer, Maurie worked in the financial industry trading distressed debt. She then changed course and spent a few years designing electronic toys. After a stint in content marketing and UX, she shifted back into writing and has since covered everything from the housing market to estate planning to Medicare.
When she's not busy writing, Maurie can be found hiking, walking her dogs, driving her kids to their various sports practices and games, and curling up with a good book. She cooks on occasion and bakes way too often.
