In the US, there isn’t one single “retirement age,” but for Social Security in 2026 the key number is 67 for most people now entering retirement.

Quick Scoop: Core Ages

  • You can start Social Security as early as 62 , but your monthly benefit is permanently reduced by about 30% compared with waiting until full retirement age.
  • The full retirement age (FRA) is now 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later, meaning you get 100% of your earned Social Security benefit at 67.
  • Before 2026, full retirement age was gradually increasing from 65, reaching 66 years and 10 months for people born in 1959.
  • You can delay Social Security past 67 (up to age 70) to get larger monthly checks via “delayed retirement credits” (higher benefit for each year you wait, up to 70).

So, when people ask “what is retirement age in the US?”, they usually mean:

  • 62 = earliest you can claim Social Security (with reduced benefits).
  • 67 = current full retirement age for most new retirees (born 1960+).
  • 70 = latest age where delaying still increases your benefit.

Legal vs. “Normal” Retirement

  • The US does not have a mandatory legal retirement age for most jobs; many people work into their late 60s or 70s if health and job allow.
  • Surveys and financial studies show the average actual retirement age is often mid‑60s (many leave the workforce around 62–65, others keep working longer).

An example:

  • A worker born in 1962 can claim at 62, but would need to wait until 67 to receive their full Social Security benefit amount under current rules.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.