Education
Testosterone Levels by Age: What's Normal for Men
Written and reviewed by Dr. Slava Fuzayloff, DO · Board-Certified Internal Medicine · Last updated: July 2026
Education
Written and reviewed by Dr. Slava Fuzayloff, DO · Board-Certified Internal Medicine · Last updated: July 2026
For most adult men, a normal total testosterone level is roughly 264–916 ng/dL, the standard reference range used by most labs. But what's normal shifts with age: the low end of the range drops as men get older, so a number that's low for a 30-year-old can be normal for a 70-year-old.
Here are the full ranges for men, based on harmonized reference data from a four-cohort study (Bhasin et al., JCEM 2017), calibrated to the CDC's standardized testosterone method:
| Age | Typical total testosterone range (ng/dL) | Typical (middle) level |
|---|---|---|
| 20s–30s (19–39) | 264–916 | ~530 |
| 40s (40–49) | 208–902 | ~480 |
| 50s (50–59) | 192–902 | ~475 |
| 60s (60–69) | 190–902 | ~475 |
| 70s (70–79) | 190–902 | ~475 |
| 80+ (80–99) | 119–902 | ~475 |
These are ranges for the general population — they cover all but the highest and lowest few percent of men. Labs vary, so your report's reference range may differ slightly. Testosterone is measured in nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) — the standard unit on a US lab result.
(Want the full definition of low testosterone and the 300 ng/dL cutoff? See What Is Low Testosterone.)
Average and normal aren't the same thing. The average is the middle value for men that age — half are higher, half are lower. The normal range is the wide band most men fall inside. Being below average doesn't mean you're abnormal, and being inside the normal range doesn't always mean you feel fine.
Average total testosterone runs highest in a man's 20s and early 30s, then settles. One useful nuance from the research: while the floor of the range keeps dropping with age, the median barely changes after 40 — meaning the decline is more gradual and more variable than most charts suggest. A younger man's ranges also run higher than the all-ages number: one 2022 study (J Urol) found normal levels for men 20–24 sat around 409–558 ng/dL, higher than the standard cutoff assumes.
Free testosterone is the small fraction of your total testosterone that isn't bound to proteins and is actually available for your body to use. It tends to fall more steeply with age than total testosterone, because a binding protein called SHBG rises as men get older and locks up more of the total.
Approximate free testosterone levels by age (ng/dL):
| Age | Free testosterone (approx., ng/dL) |
|---|---|
| 20s | 5.0–21 |
| 30s | 4.5–20 |
| 40s | 4.0–17 |
| 50s | 4.0–15 |
| 60s | 3.5–14 |
| 70s | 3.0–12 |
Free testosterone ranges vary a lot by lab and can be reported in different units (some use pg/mL), so read yours against the range printed on your own result. Free testosterone matters because you can have a "normal" total number but a low free number — which is why it's worth measuring both.
(How free T, total T, and SHBG are defined and measured: What Is Low Testosterone.)
Testosterone naturally declines about 1% per year after age 30. That slow, gradual slide is a normal part of aging — sometimes called andropause, which just means the male version of age-related hormone decline. But low testosterone isn't only aging: if your level is low and you have symptoms, that's a treatable medical condition, not something to write off as getting older.
But age isn't the only reason a number drops. Obesity, poor sleep, chronic illness, certain medications, and low physical activity can push testosterone down independent of age — and some of those are reversible. That's why a low number is a starting point for a conversation, not an automatic diagnosis.
A normal testosterone level depends on your decade: roughly 500–700 ng/dL in your 30s, 400–600 in your 40s, 400–550 in your 50s, and 300–500 in your 60s and beyond. Levels run highest in your 20s and 30s and ease down from there. Here's the quick version by decade:
30s: most men land around 500–700 ng/dL. A result in the 300s at this age, with symptoms, is worth checking.
40s: typically 400–600 ng/dL. This is often when men first notice changes in energy, drive, or recovery.
50s: commonly 400–550 ng/dL. Symptoms tend to become more noticeable this decade.
60s+: often 300–500 ng/dL. A number that would flag as low at 35 can be genuinely normal at this age.
A number alone can't tell you. The same result means different things at different ages — and a single low reading isn't a diagnosis. Low testosterone is confirmed by two morning blood tests plus real symptoms, not by one number on a screen.
Two men can both test 320 ng/dL: a 35-year-old with fatigue, low libido, and muscle loss, and a healthy 70-year-old who feels fine. Same number, completely different picture. That's why doctors read your total testosterone, your free testosterone, your age, and your symptoms together — not one value in isolation.
If your result sits in the low-normal zone (roughly 300–450 ng/dL) and you feel off, that's exactly the situation worth a proper evaluation. If it's well within range and you feel good, the number likely isn't your problem.
(Not sure whether your symptoms point to low T? See Low Testosterone Signs & Symptoms. Wondering if you'd qualify for treatment? See Am I a Candidate for TRT. For how the blood test is drawn and timed, see Testosterone Lab Testing Explained.)
Your number only means something in context. If your result looks low for your decade, or you're in the low-normal zone with symptoms, an in-person evaluation is the way to know.
A self-pay evaluation is $175 and same-day appointments are often available. Dr. Slava Fuzayloff, DO evaluates every new patient in person.
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