Here's the Average Spousal Social Security Benefit Today

Most people earn their way to Social Security in retirement by working and paying taxes on their wages. But that's certainly not the only path.

For people who never worked or don't have enough of an earnings history to qualify for Social Security, spousal benefits can be a lifeline. Those benefits are available not just to people who are married to a Social Security recipient, but also qualifying divorcees.

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But if your plan is to rely heavily on Social Security spousal benefits for retirement income, you may want to rethink it. That's because the average spousal benefit today is pretty modest.

What the average spousal Social Security benefit looks like today

The Social Security Administration releases a snapshot on a monthly basis that summarizes key program statistics. The most recent snapshot as of this writing comes from July 2026, and it shows that the average spousal benefit paid by Social Security is $986.53.

By contrast, the average Social Security benefit paid to retirees is $2,085.98. And there's a reason for that gap.

Social Security spousal benefits max out at 50% of a spouse's full retirement age benefit. In other words, if your spouse is eligible for $2,000 a month in Social Security at full retirement age, your maximum spousal benefit is $1,000.

Furthermore, people who delay a Social Security claim when filing on their own earnings record can accrue credits worth 8% a year up until age 70. But you can't boost a spousal benefit the same way.

Of course, you can reduce a spousal benefit by filing for it ahead of your own full retirement age. But there's also no sense in delaying a spousal benefit claim beyond that point, since it won't result in a boost.

Make sure your expectations are realistic

Spousal Social Security benefits aren't just available to people without a qualifying earnings history. If you're eligible for Social Security on your own but were a low earner and therefore aren't getting a very large benefit, you may find that 50% of your spouse's full retirement age benefit is larger than your own.

Social Security will pay the greater of your own benefit or a spousal benefit. It just won't pay both at the same time.

But either way, you should recognize that Social Security spousal benefits aren't typically super generous. And they may not come close to covering your retirement income needs. It's important to know what to expect from spousal benefits so you don't end up struggling financially.

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