In short
Testosterone falls by roughly 1% a year from mid-life, but the range is wide at every age: about 10 to 30 nmol/L in healthy young men and 6 to 26 in healthy older men.
On this page
Testosterone falls slowly with age, by roughly 1% a year from mid-life, but the normal range is wide at every age. In studies using the most accurate lab method, healthy young men ranged from about 10 to 30 nmol/L, and healthy men in their seventies and eighties from about 6 to 26 nmol/L.
Reference ranges from research
| Group studied | Total testosterone (nmol/L) | In ng/dL |
|---|---|---|
| Men aged 21 to 35 with normal reproductive function | 10.4 to 30.1 | 300 to 868 |
| Non-obese men aged 19 to 39 | 9.2 to 31.8 | 265 to 917 |
| Healthy men aged 70 to 89 | 6.4 to 25.7 | 185 to 741 |
Australian labs report in nmol/L. To convert to ng/dL, the unit used in the United States, multiply by 28.84.
Why there’s no simple chart by decade
Labs use different methods and set their own ranges, so the range printed on your report is the one that applies to your result. The fall with age is also uneven. Healthy men keep their levels better than men who gain weight or develop long-term illness. Much of what gets blamed on age is really weight, sleep and health.
Not sure what your symptoms or results mean?
An Australian GP can go through them with you by phone or video, and arrange any tests you still need.
What lowers testosterone at any age
- Extra weight, especially around the middle. See weight and testosterone.
- Poor sleep and sleep apnoea.
- Type 2 diabetes and other long-term illness.
- Opioid painkillers and steroid tablets.
- Being unwell at the time of the test.
- The time of day. Afternoon results run lower than morning ones.
How to read your own number
- Compare it with the range on your lab report.
- Check it was a morning, fasted sample.
- If it was low, it needs repeating on another morning.
- Put it next to your symptoms. A number means little without them.
The numbers that matter for treatment
The PBS subsidises testosterone treatment when two morning results are below 6 nmol/L, or between 6 and 15 nmol/L with a high LH. Those are funding rules, not a definition of normal. See testosterone test in Australia and TRT in Australia.
Next step: talk to a GP
Request an appointment and we’ll be in touch to arrange a time. A consultation doesn’t guarantee a prescription.
References
- Yeap BB, et al. Endocrine Society of Australia position statement on male hypogonadism (part 1). Medical Journal of Australia. 2016.
- Travison TG, et al. Harmonized reference ranges for circulating testosterone levels in men. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2017.
- Healthy Male: Androgen deficiency
This guide is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t replace a consultation with a doctor who knows your history. In an emergency, call 000.