Average disability benefits States with the highest and lowest SSDI benefits States with the highest and lowest SSI benefits How to get help applying for disability benefits Resources > General General Average Social Security Disability Benefits By State Written by Derek Silva Data Journalist and Content Lead Published March 18, 2024 Updated February 26, 2026 3 min read For people who can’t work because of a health condition or disability, there are two types of federal disability benefits. They differ primarily based on whether or not someone has ever been able to work.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is available to individuals who have worked for years and paid Social Security taxes but can’t work anymore because of a disability or health condition. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is available to low-income individuals who have little or no work history and aren’t able to work because of a medical condition.
Both types of benefits are managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA). According to 2024 data from the SSA, nearly 7.4 million disabled workers are receiving SSDI. There are just over 7.3 million SSI recipients.
Average disability benefits
The latest SSA data shows the average monthly SSDI benefit is $1,630 for disabled workers. That average is well below the maximum possible benefit, which is $4,152 in 2026. Someone’s exact SSDI benefit will depend on their work history. (See how disability benefits are calculated .)
The average monthly SSI benefit is much lower at $717. The maximum possible benefit for SSI in 2026 is $994.
If these average benefits sound low to you, it’s because they are. A previous Compass Disability study found that disability benefits aren’t enough to live on . No matter which state someone lives in, SSDI benefits are rarely enough to cover half of living expenses and SSI benefits cover less than a third of living expenses.
Estimate your disability benefit amount in just a few steps We'll use the Social Security Administration's formula to estimate your monthly benefit.
Average monthly check
$1,489
States with the highest and lowest SSDI benefits
According to the most recent SSA report , New Jersey recipients have the highest average Social Security disability check at $1,956.09 per month, while SSDI recipients in Washington, D.C., have the lowest average monthly benefits at $1,588.65.
In most states, SSDI benefits are worth between $1,700 and $1,800 monthly, on average. Just 11 states have an average benefit worth more than $1,800 and only two states (New Jersey and Maryland) have an average monthly benefit worth more than $1,900. At the other end, there are thirteen states where average SSDI benefits are worth less than $1,700 per month.
The state someone lives in doesn’t affect the value of their disability check but factors that vary by state — like average incomes or employment rates — could have an indirect effect on SSDI benefit amounts.
Related: What conditions qualify for disability benefits?
Average SSDI benefit amounts by state
Average monthly SSDI benefit
New Jersey
1,956.09
Maryland
1,903.13
Delaware
1,892.67
Connecticut
1,881.26
New Hampshire
1,861.50
Washington
1,846.74
New York
1,835.82
Massachusetts
1,820.89
Alaska
1,808.17
Wyoming
1,806.20
Minnesota
1,800.91
Colorado
1,798.49
Michigan
1,798.17
Nevada
1,797.14
Arizona
1,787.69
Pennsylvania
1,786.79
Virginia
1,786.79
Illinois
1,782.27
Hawaii
1,778.07
Wisconsin
1,771.04
Florida
1,767.48
1,757.32
Indiana
1,747.25
West Virginia
1,747.25
Alabama
1,744.07
1,739.69
Oregon
1,739.03
Georgia
1,733.05
North Carolina
1,730.07
South Carolina
1,729.14
Tennessee
1,720.05
Rhode Island
1, 717.37
Kansas
1,715.10
1,711.42
1,708.15
Missouri
1,706.59
Kentucky
1,703.09
Montana
1,700.54
Oklahoma
1,695.92
1,692.42
Arkansas
1,688.77
California
1,685.04
Vermont
1,684.43
1,680.10
New Mexico
1,674.76
Louisiana
1,671.78
South Dakota
1,663.98
Nebraska
1,663.61
Mississippi
1,661.19
North Dakota
1,657.00
District of Columbia
1,588.65
States with the highest and lowest SSI benefits
The SSI benefits don’t vary much by location. The difference between the area with the highest average SSI benefit (Washington, D.C.) and the lowest average SSI benefit (North Dakota) is just $79.98 per month. The average monthly SSI benefit is worth between $600 and $700 in all states.
The low variability in benefit amounts is likely due to Supplemental Security Income working a bit differently than SSDI. In 2026, someone can only qualify for SSI benefits if their total income is $994 or less (that number is up from $967 in 2025). So a person with no income at all could qualify for the maximum SSI benefit of $994, but someone who’s earning $300 of monthly income from just about any other source could only qualify for an SSI benefit of $694.
Even with that maximum income requirement, it’s interesting to look at differences in SSI benefits because recipients are people who otherwise have very low income and little opportunity to earn more.
Average SSI benefit amount by state
Average SSI benefit
District of Columbia
690.22
Pennsylvania
683.68
Minnesota
683.01
Maryland
681.51
677.79
Washington
677.57
Michigan
677.38
Delaware
671.22
Illinois
670.11
Indiana
667.86
West Virginia
664.47
Wisconsin
664.44
Louisiana
663.61
Oregon
661.10
Connecticut
659.81
Nevada
659.55
New York
658.94
Arkansas
657.74
Rhode Island
657.71
Oklahoma
657.15
Arizona
656.20
Kentucky
656.11
Massachusetts
655.87
Kansas
655.13
Virginia
654.22
651.08
650.85
Tennessee
650.45
Georgia
648.68
Florida
646.07
Missouri
644.84
644.67
Colorado
642.63
Alabama
640.72
North Carolina
639.26
637.99
Nebraska
636.97
Mississippi
636.53
Vermont
636.03
South Carolina
635.84
Wyoming
632.36
631.96
New Mexico
631.12
Hawaii
628.92
South Dakota
628.73
California
625.99
New Hampshire
624.73
Alaska
623.01
New Jersey
622.79
Montana
613.69
North Dakota
610.24
How to get help applying for disability benefits
The application for Social Security disability benefits can be long and complicated. To get the process started on the right foot, we’ve created this step-by-step guide to the disability benefits application .
While this guide is a good place to start, the biggest way most applicants can increase their chance of success is to work with a disability lawyer . Applying for disability may not seem like the job of a lawyer, but unfortunately the process is very technical and usually goes through the court system.
Three-quarters of people have their initial claim denied and need to appeal for a hearing in front of a judge. ( Judges approved more than 50% of claims at this stage.) Government data shows that applicants with lawyers are three times more likely to win their claim.
Compass Disability can help you understand if a lawyer could help your claim. Our advice is always free and we can refer you to one of our vetted lawyers (who you don’t have to pay unless they win your case). Start with our 2-minute disability benefits quiz and our team will reach out to learn more about your situation.
Recommended Articles:
How Much Can I Make on SSDI or SSI in 2024?
How Are SSDI Payments Calculated?
Derek Silva
Data Journalist and Content Lead
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