The Average Social Security Check the Year You Were Born
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Joel Anderson
8 min read
Social Security has long been a cornerstone of American democracy. However, it has also undergone some dramatic changes in the over 80 years since its passage. While the core program remains unchanged — using present-day payroll taxes to provide cash payments to retirees — it has slowly become more and more connected to American society over the years, growing all the while to the enormous benefit you see today.
But just how much have those benefits been worth? The truth is, the Social Security checks your great grandparents might have been receiving in the 1950s were much smaller. Even after accounting for inflation, benefits have tripled in size over the last 70 years.
So here’s a look at how benefits have changed over the decades, should there be some valuable lessons in Social Security’s past to tell us about what to expect from its future.
1950
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $43.86
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $471.54
1951
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $42.14
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $421.56
1952
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $49.25
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $477.93
1953
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $51.10
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $494.03
1954
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $59.14
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $569.64
1955
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $61.90
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $598.45
1956
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $63.09
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $596.59
1957
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $64.58
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $591.26
1958
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $66.35
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $592.81
1959
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $72.78
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $645.80
1960
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $74.04
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $648.10
1961
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $75.65
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $653.37
1962
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $76.19
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $651.52
1963
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $76.88
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $648.85
1964
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $77.57
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $646.25
1965
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $83.92
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $688.09
1966
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $84.35
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $672.47
1967
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $85.37
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $662.26
1968
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $98.86
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $733.95
1969
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $100.40
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $706.90
1970
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $118.10
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $784.61
1971
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $132.17
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $841.41
1972
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $162.35
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,003.94
1973
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $166.42
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $973.35
1974
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $188.21
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $987.15
1975
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $207.18
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $990.42
1976
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $224.86
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,020.34
1977
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $243.00
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,032.16
1978
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $263.20
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,037.98
1979
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $294.30
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,043.14
1980
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $341.40
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,069.61
1981
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $385.97
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,091.76
1982
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $419.30
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,114.27
1983
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $440.77
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,143.18
1984
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $460.57
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,146.34
1985
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $478.62
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,150.38
1986
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $488.44
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,155.76
1987
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $512.65
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,167.21
1988
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $536.77
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,173.65
1989
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $566.85
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,180.64
1990
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $602.56
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,197.27
1991
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $629.32
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,197.19
1992
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $652.64
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,203.56
1993
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $674.06
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,209.48
1994
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $697.34
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,217.53
1995
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $719.80
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,222.96
1996
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $744.96
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,229.43
1997
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $774.84
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,250.85
1998
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $779.69
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,237.86
1999
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $804.30
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,250.12
2000
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $844.48
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,266.24
2001
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $874.44
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,276.44
2002
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $895.00
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,287.59
2003
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $922.08
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,299.14
2004
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $954.89
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,306.30
2005
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,002.00
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,328.66
2006
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,044.40
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,329.75
2007
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,078.60
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,341.66
2008
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,152.90
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,358.03
2009
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,164.30
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,400.84
2010
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,175.50
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,397.05
2011
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,228.57
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,409.00
2012
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,261.61
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,426.79
2013
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,293.83
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,435.10
2014
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,328.58
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,444.85
2015
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,341.77
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,456.73
2016
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,360.13
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,464.55
2017
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,404.15
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,486.26
2018
Average monthly Social Security payment that year: $1,461.31
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,502.45
2019
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,578.55
2020
Average monthly Social Security payment in 2020 dollars: $1,629.51
Methodology: GOBankingRates used the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) “Annual Statistical Supplement, 2019” 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 (2020 dollars) for the years 1950 through 2018. Then, GOBankingRates used the SSA’s Beneficiary Data portal to find the average monthly benefit amount for retired workers for 2019 and 2020 in current dollars. All data was collected on and up to date as of Feb. 1, 2021.
