The main reason why the average 69-year-old gets more than the overall average retired worker has to do with the proportion of beneficiaries who claimed Social Security early. First, the overall average includes millions of people who have not yet reached full retirement age -- meaning that there are a disproportionate number of beneficiaries who have reduced benefits for early retirement age compared to just 69-year-olds.

You should also know that it's not just earnings from a salaried job that could set you up for more Social Security. Side hustle income counts, too. So even if your salary stays t