01 / Reference ranges
What counts as normal
Normal vs optimal
The harmonized range is 264 to 916 ng/dL for healthy nonobese men 19 to 39; the 5th to 95th percentile band is 303 to 852. Levels decline with age and with obesity, so a value in the 300s can be normal for one man and symptomatic for another. Marketing that promises an "optimal" level near the top of the range has no guideline basis: the guidelines treat symptoms plus a confirmed low value as the trigger, not distance from the top of the interval.
For women, the numbers on this page from Mayo Clinic Laboratories are a laboratory reference interval, not a guideline threshold.
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02 / Why it matters
What the number tells you
Two US guidelines govern how the number is read in men. The Endocrine Society (2018) recommends a fasting morning total testosterone with an accurate assay, confirmed by a second morning measurement, and points to the harmonized reference range for healthy nonobese men aged 19 to 39 of 264 to 916 ng/dL (Travison 2017), whose lower limit of 264 ng/dL applies to any CDC-certified assay. It also says free testosterone should be measured when total testosterone is modestly above or below the lower limit (about 200 to 400 ng/dL). The American Urological Association (2018, validity confirmed 2024) uses a total testosterone below 300 ng/dL as a reasonable cutoff in support of a diagnosis of low testosterone, and requires two early-morning measurements plus symptoms or signs. Neither guideline diagnoses on a number alone.
03 / In practice
Testing and what moves it
When it is tested
- Morning, fasting, on two separate days (Endocrine Society; AUA requires two early-morning measurements).
- Only when there are symptoms or signs of deficiency; population screening is not recommended.
- Use an assay certified against the CDC reference method where possible.
What raises it
- Morning sampling versus afternoon (about 50% higher in young men), testosterone therapy, some tumours (rare).
What lowers it
- Age, obesity, poor sleep and sleep apnea, opioids and glucocorticoids, acute illness, afternoon or non-fasting sampling, diabetes, pituitary or testicular disease.
04 / Related
Read next
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal testosterone level for a man? ▼
The harmonized reference range for healthy nonobese men aged 19 to 39 is 264 to 916 ng/dL (Travison 2017), which the Endocrine Society adopts for CDC-certified assays. The AUA uses below 300 ng/dL as a cutoff that supports a diagnosis of low testosterone when symptoms are present.
Why do I need two tests? ▼
Testosterone varies by time of day and from day to day, and food lowers it. Both the Endocrine Society and the AUA require two morning measurements before diagnosing deficiency.
Can I check testosterone at home? ▼
At-home kits collect a finger-prick or saliva sample and send it to a lab. A blood test in the morning, on a certified assay, is what the guidelines describe; a saliva result or an afternoon sample cannot be read against the ranges above.