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The Average Social Security Check the Year You Were Born

June 9, 2024

7 min Read

Written by Jordan Rosenfeld

Edited by Ashleigh Ray

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While Social Security benefits were never meant to fully replace the income you make while working, they are designed to prevent people from running out of funds in retirement. The Social Security Administration (SSA) also accounts for cost of living increases every year, and makes an adjustment to increase the benefits by a reasonable amount, as well.

If you’ve ever wondered what benefits your parents or grandparents were receiving, GOBankingRates took the average Social Security benefit from 1950 and found how much it translates to in today’s dollars. Using the SSA’s Annual Statistical Supplement of 2023, here is the average Social Security check from the year you — or a family member — were born.

Also check out what the average Social Security check will be in 15 years.

1950

Average monthly Social Security payment then: $43.86
Average monthly Social Security payment in today’s dollars: $585.20

1951

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $42.14
Average Monthly Social Security Payment in Today’s Dollars: $520.19

1952

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $49.25
Average Monthly Social Security Payment in Today’s Dollars: $582.73

1953

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $51.10
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $602.34

1954

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $59.14
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $689.34

1955

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $61.90
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $726.91

1956

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $63.09
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $738.12

1957

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $64.58
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $733.66

1958

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $66.35
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $727.41

Today’s Top Offers

1959

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $72.78
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $786.90

1960

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $74.04
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $792.32

1961

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $75.65
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $795.97

1962

Average monthly Social Security payment then: $76.19
Average monthly Social Security payment in today’s dollars: $796.31

1963

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $76.88
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $792.95

1964

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $77.57
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $787.12

1965

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $83.92
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $843.36

1966

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $84.35
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $831.69

1967

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $85.37
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $813.60

1968

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $98.86
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $909.01

1969

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $100.40
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $884.28

1970

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $118.10
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $979.63

1971

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $132.17
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,041.25

1972

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $162.35
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,238.55

1973

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $166.42
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,224.90

1974

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $188.21
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,266.37

1975

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $207.18
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,246.85

1976

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $224.86
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,268.06

Today’s Top Offers

1977

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $243.00
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,302.43

1978

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $263.20
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,320.41

1979

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $294.30
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,351.06

1980

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $341.40
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,375.90

1981

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $385.97
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,391.04

1982

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $419.30
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,394.17

1983

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $440.77
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,413.11

1984

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $460.57
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,417.18

1985

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $478.62
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,422.47

1986

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $488.44
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,397.35

1987

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $512.65
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,445.51

1988

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $536.77
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,454.65

1989

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $566.85
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,467.67

1990

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $602.56
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,482.98

1991

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $629.32
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,465.99

1992

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $652.64
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,481.78

1993

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $674.06
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,482.12

1994

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $697.34
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,495.55

Today’s Top Offers

1995

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $719.80
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,501.61

1996

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $744.96
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,512.83

1997

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $774.84
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,527.02

1998

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $779.69
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,512.81

1999

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $804.30
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,534.92

2000

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $844.48
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,568.63

2001

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $874.44
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,565.84

2002

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $895.00
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,584.56

2003

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $922.08
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,591.17

2004

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $954.89
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,616.65

2005

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,002.00
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,647.48

2006

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,044.40
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,651.38

2007

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,078.60
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,670.78

2008

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,152.90
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,712.57

2009

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,164.30
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,728.99

2010

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,175.50
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,700.96

2011

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,228.57
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,749.21

2012

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,261.61
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,745.20

Today’s Top Offers

2013

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,293.83
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,761.67

2014

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,328.58
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,780.87

2015

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,341.77
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,800.16

2016

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,360.13
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,800.07

2017

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,404.15
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,813.01

2018

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,461.31
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,848.54

2019

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,502.85
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,872.04

2020

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,544.15
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,876.82

2021

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,658.03
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,987.41

2022

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,825.14
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $2,035.47

2023

Average Monthly Social Security Payment Then: $1,842.87
Average Monthly Social Security Payment In Today’s Dollars: $1,931.44

2024

Average Monthly Social Security Payment: $1,912.09

Joel Anderson contributed to the reporting for this story.

Methodology: GOBankingRates used the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) “Annual Statistical Supplement, 2023” to find the average Social Security check the year you were born. Using this report, GOBankingRates referenced Table 3.C4–Average monthly amount of Social Security (OASDI) to find: (1) the average monthly Social Security payment for retired workers (amount at the time), and then used the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI inflation calculator to find the (2) average monthly Social Security payment for retired workers (2024 dollars) for the years 1950 through 2023. All data was collected on and up to date as of May 28, 2024.

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