Free Testosterone Levels pg/ml by Age

Testosterone (T) is an important hormone for both healthy men and women. It is responsible for muscle function, metabolism, sexual health, fertility, mental health, and bone health. But this hormone does not stay at the same level your entire life.

Some people are curious about their testosterone levels, especially if they are experiencing symptoms of either low testosterone or high testosterone. Knowing the range of what is considered normal or healthy at various ages can help you and your healthcare provider better understand your hormone health.

Free Testosterone (FT) vs. Total Testosterone (TT)

You may not realize it, but you have two different types of testosterone in your body. Men and women have both. One of these hormones is active, free testosterone.

Active means that only free testosterone "gets the work done" in your body. How much or how little free testosterone you have in your body influences your^1-5:

Muscle mass & strength
Menstrual cycles and fertility
Libido (sex drive) & sexual function
Mood & mental clarity
Bone health

The difference is that total testosterone, after it is produced in your body, joins or binds with proteins — most commonly one called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and sometimes albumin. The key is that total testosterone becomes inactive when bound to either of these proteins. This means that bound testosterone can't control any of the functions listed above.

The takeaway is that free testosterone will give you the most accurate picture of what is happening in your body when investigating your testosterone levels. Generally, healthcare providers will measure total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) to get the most complete picture of your hormonal health.⁴

Normal ranges for testosterone levels can vary based on¹:

The type of blood test done
The laboratory where it is done
What unit of measurement is used to report test results

Healthcare providers can help you figure out how to interpret your results. Free testosterone is sometimes measured in a different unit — picograms per milliliter (pg/mL). The charts here show nanogram levels per deciliter (ng/dL). Be sure to check the unit used in your lab results so that you are comparing apples to apples and not apples to oranges.

Ages 15–19

Even in utero, your body produces some testosterone before you are born. In babies with ovaries, these organs make testosterone. The testicles in male babies make most of the testosterone. Additional glands called the adrenal glands also make testosterone (in much smaller amounts) in both sexes.¹

In utero, testosterone is responsible for the development of your penis and testes if you have them. Testosterone directs the formation of sperm and controls your ability to have and maintain an erection — so it has quite a role to play when it comes to male fertility. However, testosterone levels stay about the same in both boys and girls up until age 10–11.⁶

At the time of puberty in males (usually starting around age 11, but happening as early as 9 years and as old as 14 years), testosterone levels shoot up from childhood levels.^6,7

Male Age – Free Testosterone Levels by Age (ng/dL)

15 years: 1.62–17.7
16 years: 2.93–19.5
17 years: 4.28–20.9
18 years: 5.40–21.8
19 years: 5.36–21.2

Female Age – Free Testosterone Levels by Age (ng/dL)

15–18 years: <0.13–1.09
19 years: <0.13–1.08

Ages 20–100 in Women

Once girls start having a period each month, their bodies begin to release testosterone from their ovaries. Women typically produce three times as much testosterone as estrogen.⁸ These levels are still much less than men post-puberty produce — about 15 times less!⁶

The normal range of testosterone is difficult to define in women because their levels are usually too low (especially after perimenopause and menopause) to accurately or reliably measure.⁸ That is why medical practice guidelines advise healthcare providers to treat midlife women with testosterone issues based on the symptoms they are having, not what their lab results show.^9,10

Women's testosterone levels drop more abruptly and dramatically than men's at the time of menopause when they stop ovulating and menstruating. Not all perimenopausal or menopausal women experience symptoms of low testosterone.

In the time before menopause, called perimenopause, women can experience erratic and unpredictable fluctuations in testosterone levels lasting as long as 7–10 years.^9,11 This is why taking a single measurement of testosterone at one point in time does not accurately tell you that much about your testosterone status — during perimenopause, your T could be normal one day and then abnormal the next.

Free Testosterone Levels in Women (ng/dL)

20–<25 years: <0.13–1.08
25–<30 years: <0.13–1.06
30–<35 years: <0.13–1.03
35–<40 years: <0.13–1.00
40–<45 years: <0.13–0.98
45–<50 years: <0.13–0.95
50–<55 years: <0.13–0.90
55–<60 years: <0.13–0.87
60–<65 years: <0.13–0.84
70–<75 years: <0.13–0.82
75–<80 years: <0.13–0.79
80–<85 years: <0.13–0.76
85–<90 years: <0.13–0.73
90–<95 years: <0.13–0.71
95–100+ years: <0.13–0.68

Ages 20–100 in Men

It is normal for men's testosterone to decrease with age. Typically, it drops by about 1% per year after age 30. As you can see from the chart below, the decline happens gradually.^1,12

Free Testosterone Levels in Men (ng/dL)

20–<25 years: 5.25–20.7
25–<30 years: 5.05–19.8
30–<35 years: 4.85–19.0
35–<40 years: 4.65–18.1
40–<45 years: 4.46–17.1
45–<50 years: 4.26–16.4
50–<55 years: 4.06–15.6
55–<60 years: 3.87–14.7
60–<65 years: 3.67–13.9
70–<75 years: 3.28–12.2
75–<80 years: 3.08–11.3
80–<85 years: 2.88–10.5
85–<90 years: 2.69–9.61
90–<95 years: 2.49–8.76
95–100+ years: 2.29–7.91

Men are much more likely to have symptoms of low testosterone than women. Those symptoms in men can be:¹²

An unexpected loss of muscle mass and an increase in body fat
Erectile dysfunction
Low sex drive
A loss of body hair
Depressed mood

Does It Matter When You Test Your Testosterone?

Yes. Testosterone levels change over the day and month, especially if you are a person who still has periods or is already taking hormones in birth control, menopause hormone therapy (MHT), or testosterone replacement therapy.

Testosterone levels are highest in the morning, and the reference levels are based on levels drawn during morning hours. Research shows that your testosterone levels in the afternoon and evening may be as much as one-half of your morning levels.⁴

Therefore, test your testosterone between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM for the most accurate test results.

For premenopausal women (people still having monthly periods) and/or those being tested to determine fertility or other medical conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS): test on days three to five of your menstrual cycle, between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM.¹³

For people using any hormonal medication, either to treat peri/menopausal symptoms or using birth control with hormones (such as the birth control pill), you will need to stop taking these medications for at least three months before testing your testosterone for an accurate test result.

How To Test Your Testosterone

Some people who may have had their testosterone levels tested, either at a health clinic or with an at-home testosterone test like the one offered by Everlywell, like to compare their levels with reference guides, such as the ones listed here.

In general, testosterone testing is not necessary or all that helpful if you aren't experiencing any symptoms of low testosterone or high testosterone. Men with lower testosterone levels and women with higher testosterone levels than the reference ranges are most likely to experience symptoms.

If you think you are experiencing symptoms of low testosterone or high testosterone, it is always a good idea to check in with a healthcare provider. You can do so easily and conveniently in a virtual women's health visit or a virtual men's health visit from Everlywell.

References

Cleveland Clinic. Testosterone. Updated September 1, 2022. Accessed March 16, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17459-testosterone.
LabCorp. Understanding Total Testosterone vs. Free Testosterone. Published May 30, 2024. Accessed March 10, 2025. https://www.labcorp.com/resource/understanding-total-testosterone-vs-free-testosterone.
LabCorp. Testosterone, Total, Women, Children, and Hypogonadal Men. Accessed March 8, 2025. https://www.labcorp.com/tests/140103/testosterone-total-women-children-and-hypogonadal-men.
Mayo Clinic Laboratories. Testosterone, Total and Free, Serum. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-catalog/Overview/83686.
Dratva MA, Banks SJ, Panizzon MS, Galasko D, Sundermann EE; Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Low testosterone levels relate to poorer cognitive function in women in an APOE-ε4-dependant manner. Biol Sex Differ. 2024;15(1):45. doi:10.1186/s13293-024-00620-4
Senefeld J, Lambelet C, et al. Divergence in timing and magnitude of testosterone levels between male and female youths. JAMA. 2020;324(1):99–101. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.5655
Handelsman DJ, Hirschberg AL, Bermon S. Circulating testosterone as the hormonal basis of sex differences in athletic performance. Endocr Rev. 2018;39(5):803–829. doi:10.1210/er.2018-00020
Scott A, Newson L. Should we be prescribing testosterone to perimenopausal and menopausal women? A guide to prescribing testosterone for women in primary care. Br J Gen Pract. 2020;70(693):203–204. doi:10.3399/bjgp20X709265
Park A, Yauger J. ACOG Clinical Consensus 6, Compounded Bioidentical Menopausal Hormone Therapy. November 2023. Accessed March 16, 2025. https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/clinical-consensus/articles/2023/11/compounded-bioidentical-menopausal-hormone-therapy.
Davis SR, Baber R, Panay N, et al. Global consensus position statement on the use of testosterone therapy for women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019;104(10):4660–4666. doi:10.1210/jc.2019-01603
Burger HG, Dudley EC, Cui J, Dennerstein L, Hopper JL. A prospective longitudinal study of serum testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and sex hormone-binding globulin levels through the menopause transition. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2000;85(8):2832–2838. doi:10.1210/jcem.85.8.6740
Cleveland Clinic. Low Testosterone (Male Hypogonadism). Updated September 2, 2022. Accessed March 16, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15241-low-testosterone-hypogonadism.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Infertility workup for the women's health specialist: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 781. Obstet Gynecol. 2019;133(6):e377–e384. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000003271

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