Look up full retirement age using the Social Security Administration's retirement-age table for retirees. Enter your birth year and select the January 1 option if your birthday falls on that date. The tool returns the years and months shown by the matching official row. The full table appears below, with SSA's wording preserved. This tool gives an age lookup, not a payment estimate or a recommendation about when to claim. Check the linked SSA source for current rules before making a benefit decision.
Worked example
| Birth year | January 1 | Year used | SSA age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | No | 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
| 1960 | Yes | 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
How it works
The lookup uses the birth year to select an inclusive range in SSA's table. Selecting January 1 subtracts one from the birth year before selecting the row. The returned years and months are the official table age, without any estimate, rounding or adjustment for earnings. The table is stored locally so the calculator does not send a birth year to SSA.
Lookup year = birth year - 1 for January 1 births; otherwise birth year
Retirement age = SSA table row containing the lookup year
SSA calls this normal retirement age on the cited page. It states that the table shows how that age varies by year of birth for retirees. This page uses full retirement age as the tool label to match the common search term.
Official SSA retirement-age table
| Year of birth | Age |
|---|---|
| 1937 and prior | 65 |
| 1938 | 65 and 2 months |
| 1939 | 65 and 4 months |
| 1940 | 65 and 6 months |
| 1941 | 65 and 8 months |
| 1942 | 65 and 10 months |
| 1943-54 | 66 |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
| 1960 and later | 67 |
Table text is quoted verbatim from SSA's Normal Retirement Age page.
Persons born on January 1 of any year should refer to the normal retirement age for the previous year.
Read the result before using it
Check both the age and the table year used. The year-used field makes the January 1 adjustment visible, which matters when the previous year selects a different row. If your birthday is on another day, leave that checkbox off. The age is a calendar threshold from the table; it is not a dollar amount and does not show your individual benefit entitlement.
This calculator deliberately asks for the information needed to select a table row. It does not ask for a name, Social Security number, employment history or income. It does not calculate a claiming month from a full birth date. If you need to determine a payment start date, consult SSA's official guidance for your situation rather than treating a birth-year lookup as a complete eligibility determination.
Source date and scope
The live SSA host blocked access from the build server. The displayed table was therefore checked against an archived SSA page captured on September 30, 2025. The source link points to the live official page so you can review current guidance. The data verification date identifies when that archived text was checked, rather than claiming that SSA published a new table on that date.
The local update script attempts to fetch the live official page and validates all expected rows and the January 1 note. If fetching or validation fails, it keeps the last good file. A changed table requires source and page review before publication. The lookup covers the retiree table only; survivor calculations, payment estimates and individualized benefit advice are outside this tool's scope.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find full retirement age by birth year?
Enter the birth year to select the matching row of the SSA table. Select the January 1 option if that is the birthday, because SSA says to use the previous year.
What if I was born on January 1?
SSA states: Persons born on January 1 of any year should refer to the normal retirement age for the previous year. The checkbox applies that lookup rule.
Does this calculate a Social Security payment?
No. It returns the retirement age from the table. It does not use earnings history or calculate an amount, reduction or increase.
Does this table apply to survivor benefits?
This tool uses the SSA table for retirees. Survivor-benefit rules require a separate review with SSA; do not use this result for that purpose.
Sources
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Gregorian leap-year rule
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Gregorian dates and continuous day counts
- NIST: the 24-hour day
- NIST: seven-day week terminology
- Social Security Administration: Normal Retirement Age table
Data as of 2026-10-05. SSA table verified using its September 30, 2025 archived page because the live host blocked this server. Confirm current rules with SSA before making a benefit decision.