{"id":62572,"date":"2024-01-12T15:15:56","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T20:15:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=62572"},"modified":"2026-08-25T15:16:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T19:16:51","slug":"testosterone-levels-by-age-chart-female","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/testosterone-levels-by-age-chart-female\/","title":{"rendered":"Testosterone levels in women: What’s normal by age?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Testosterone<\/a> is a typically male sex hormone (androgen). Females use this naturally made hormone for healthy growth and reproduction, but in far smaller quantities than males. It\u2019s normal for testosterone levels to change throughout a woman\u2019s life, but having too much or too little can lead to health and reproductive issues. Blood tests can diagnose low or high testosterone in women, and both conditions are treatable.<\/p>\n

What are normal testosterone levels in women?<\/h2>\n

A premenopausal adult woman typically has 8\u201360 nanograms per deciliter (ng\/dL) of total testosterone. After menopause, a woman\u2019s total testosterone usually falls between 7 and 40 ng\/dL.<\/p>\n

The \u201cnormal\u201d range can vary slightly based on the laboratory processing your blood test. For example, LabCorp<\/a>\u2019s reference range for total testosterone in a premenopausal woman is 10\u201355 ng\/dL, while Mayo Clinic Laboratories<\/a> considers 8\u201360 ng\/dL to be a normal range.<\/p>\n

Total testosterone can also vary based on the time of day of your blood draw. It tends to be highest in the morning<\/a>, so this is the ideal time to schedule blood work or perform an at-home test. Drawing testosterone between 8\u201310 a.m. after fasting for 12 hours is best.<\/p>\n

Once you have the results of your testosterone test, talk to a healthcare provider for an accurate interpretation and recommended next steps.<\/p>\n

Normal total testosterone levels by age for females<\/h2>\n

Female babies are born with a relatively high amount of total testosterone (20\u201380 ng\/dL). By around 6 months of age, total testosterone drops to 20 ng\/dL or less. It slowly increases again throughout childhood and puberty, peaking at about 20\u201375 ng\/dL at the age of 17 or 18.<\/p>\n

Total testosterone levels then fall to about 8\u201360 ng\/dL around age 19. They\u2019ll stay within this range throughout the reproductive years. Once a woman is in menopause (one year after her last menstrual period), her total testosterone often stays within a slightly narrower range of 7\u201340 ng\/dL. This decline is much more subtle than the steep drop in estrogen<\/a> women experience after menopause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\u00a0 Testosterone levels by age chart for women<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

Age\/life stage<\/b><\/td>\nTotal testosterone range (ng\/dL)<\/b><\/td>\nNotes<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Childhood (prepubescent)<\/b><\/td>\n<7\u201320<\/td>\nVery low; levels rise during puberty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Puberty\/teens<\/b><\/td>\n<7\u201375<\/td>\nRises as the ovaries and adrenal glands become active<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20\u201349 (pre-menopause)<\/b><\/td>\n8\u201360<\/td>\nTypically highest in adult women<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
50s+ (postmenopause)<\/b><\/td>\n7\u201340<\/td>\nLower range; ovarian production decreases<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Women go through menopause at different ages. A postmenopausal woman typically has lower total testosterone than a pre-menopausal or perimenopausal woman of the same age. Testosterone levels may also drop about 25% more<\/a> in women who have had their ovaries surgically removed.<\/p>\n

Certain lifestyle factors, like recent physical activity or fasting<\/a>, can also influence testosterone levels in women. Discuss your results with a healthcare provider to learn if your testosterone levels seem normal or healthy based on your medical history.<\/p>\n

Free testosterone levels by age in women<\/h2>\n

Total testosterone measures all of the testosterone in your body. Most of this testosterone is already bound to proteins. Testosterone that isn\u2019t bound to anything is called free testosterone. It is readily available for the body to use in supporting energy, muscle mass, bone density, mood, libido, and more.<\/p>\n

Measuring free testosterone gives your healthcare provider better insight into your supply of usable testosterone. If you have very little free testosterone, you may experience symptoms of low testosterone despite having a normal amount of total testosterone.<\/p>\n

Free testosterone levels in women tend to peak in early adulthood, then gradually decline starting around age 30. They\u2019ll continue to decline<\/a> for the rest of a woman\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy age 40, women have already decreased their testosterone by half, and that decline continues at a rate of 1% to 3% per year until around age 70,\u201d says Bruce Dorr, MD, URPS, FACOG, IFM-CP, an OB-GYN and senior medical adviser at Biote<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor some women, the drop is even more pronounced, accelerated by factors such as stress, trauma, surgery, pregnancy, or genetics. This can lead to a wide range of symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\u00a0 Normal free testosterone levels by age chart for women<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

Age range<\/b><\/td>\nFree testosterone (ng\/dL)<\/b><\/td>\nNotes<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18\u201329<\/b><\/td>\n0.06\u20131.08<\/td>\nTypically highest in adult women<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
30\u201339<\/b><\/td>\n0.06\u20131.03<\/td>\nGradual decline from the peak<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
40\u201349<\/b><\/td>\n0.06\u20130.98<\/td>\nContinued decline, perimenopause range<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
50+ (postmenopause)<\/b><\/td>\n0.06\u20130.92<\/td>\nLowest adult range, continues to decline with age<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

What causes low testosterone in women?<\/h2>\n

Some laboratories flag total testosterone below about 7\u20138 ng\/dL or free testosterone below 0.06 ng\/dL as low. However, there is no universally accepted testosterone cutoff for diagnosing testosterone deficiency in women, so healthcare providers also consider symptoms, medical history, and other hormone levels.<\/p>\n

Having surgery to remove your ovaries (called an oophorectomy) can cause low testosterone because the ovaries produce a substantial portion of a woman’s testosterone before menopause.<\/p>\n

Several other conditions can cause low testosterone in women, such as:<\/p>\n