DHEA-S reference range by age

Compiled by Alina Radu, founder of Sera, from the published sources below · Last reviewed November 9, 2026

Sera's bands for DHEA-S, by age on the day of the test and by sex:

Female, 18 to 20: Sufficient 74 – 403 μg/dL (2.01 – 10.94 μmol/L); out of range below 74 or above 403 μg/dL.
Female, 21 to 30: Sufficient 67 – 373 μg/dL (1.82 – 10.12 μmol/L); out of range below 67 or above 373 μg/dL.
Female, 31 to 40: Sufficient 46 – 294 μg/dL (1.25 – 7.98 μmol/L); out of range below 46 or above 294 μg/dL.
Female, 41 to 50: Sufficient 32 – 236 μg/dL (0.87 – 6.41 μmol/L); out of range below 32 or above 236 μg/dL.
Female, 51 to 60: Sufficient 24 – 210 μg/dL (0.65 – 5.7 μmol/L); out of range below 24 or above 210 μg/dL.
Female, 61 to 70: Sufficient 18 – 195 μg/dL (0.49 – 5.29 μmol/L); out of range below 18 or above 195 μg/dL.
Female, 71 to 80: Sufficient 14 – 167 μg/dL (0.38 – 4.53 μmol/L); out of range below 14 or above 167 μg/dL.
Female, 81 and over: Sufficient 12 – 122 μg/dL (0.33 – 3.31 μmol/L); out of range below 12 or above 122 μg/dL.
Male, 18 to 20: Sufficient 84 – 451 μg/dL (2.28 – 12.24 μmol/L); out of range below 84 or above 451 μg/dL.
Male, 21 to 30: Sufficient 96 – 475 μg/dL (2.61 – 12.89 μmol/L); out of range below 96 or above 475 μg/dL.
Male, 31 to 40: Sufficient 71 – 384 μg/dL (1.93 – 10.42 μmol/L); out of range below 71 or above 384 μg/dL.
Male, 41 to 50: Sufficient 48 – 333 μg/dL (1.3 – 9.04 μmol/L); out of range below 48 or above 333 μg/dL.
Male, 51 to 60: Sufficient 29 – 285 μg/dL (0.79 – 7.73 μmol/L); out of range below 29 or above 285 μg/dL.
Male, 61 to 70: Sufficient 20 – 281 μg/dL (0.54 – 7.63 μmol/L); out of range below 20 or above 281 μg/dL.
Male, 71 to 80: Sufficient 15 – 249 μg/dL (0.41 – 6.76 μmol/L); out of range below 15 or above 249 μg/dL.
Male, 81 and over: Sufficient 12 – 137 μg/dL (0.33 – 3.72 μmol/L); out of range below 12 or above 137 μg/dL.

Evidence grade: Published reference interval. A band that primarily reflects a published adult laboratory or population reference interval. It is not necessarily applicable to every assay or laboratory.

All units

Unit	Applies to	Optimal	Sufficient	Out of range
μg/dL	Female, 18 to 20	—	74 – 403	below 74 or above 403
μg/dL	Female, 21 to 30	—	67 – 373	below 67 or above 373
μg/dL	Female, 31 to 40	—	46 – 294	below 46 or above 294
μg/dL	Female, 41 to 50	—	32 – 236	below 32 or above 236
μg/dL	Female, 51 to 60	—	24 – 210	below 24 or above 210
μg/dL	Female, 61 to 70	—	18 – 195	below 18 or above 195
μg/dL	Female, 71 to 80	—	14 – 167	below 14 or above 167
μg/dL	Female, 81 and over	—	12 – 122	below 12 or above 122
μg/dL	Male, 18 to 20	—	84 – 451	below 84 or above 451
μg/dL	Male, 21 to 30	—	96 – 475	below 96 or above 475
μg/dL	Male, 31 to 40	—	71 – 384	below 71 or above 384
μg/dL	Male, 41 to 50	—	48 – 333	below 48 or above 333
μg/dL	Male, 51 to 60	—	29 – 285	below 29 or above 285
μg/dL	Male, 61 to 70	—	20 – 281	below 20 or above 281
μg/dL	Male, 71 to 80	—	15 – 249	below 15 or above 249
μg/dL	Male, 81 and over	—	12 – 137	below 12 or above 137
μmol/L	Female, 18 to 20	—	2.01 – 10.94	below 2.01 or above 10.94
μmol/L	Female, 21 to 30	—	1.82 – 10.12	below 1.82 or above 10.12
μmol/L	Female, 31 to 40	—	1.25 – 7.98	below 1.25 or above 7.98
μmol/L	Female, 41 to 50	—	0.87 – 6.41	below 0.87 or above 6.41
μmol/L	Female, 51 to 60	—	0.65 – 5.7	below 0.65 or above 5.7
μmol/L	Female, 61 to 70	—	0.49 – 5.29	below 0.49 or above 5.29
μmol/L	Female, 71 to 80	—	0.38 – 4.53	below 0.38 or above 4.53
μmol/L	Female, 81 and over	—	0.33 – 3.31	below 0.33 or above 3.31
μmol/L	Male, 18 to 20	—	2.28 – 12.24	below 2.28 or above 12.24
μmol/L	Male, 21 to 30	—	2.61 – 12.89	below 2.61 or above 12.89
μmol/L	Male, 31 to 40	—	1.93 – 10.42	below 1.93 or above 10.42
μmol/L	Male, 41 to 50	—	1.3 – 9.04	below 1.3 or above 9.04
μmol/L	Male, 51 to 60	—	0.79 – 7.73	below 0.79 or above 7.73
μmol/L	Male, 61 to 70	—	0.54 – 7.63	below 0.54 or above 7.63
μmol/L	Male, 71 to 80	—	0.41 – 6.76	below 0.41 or above 6.76
μmol/L	Male, 81 and over	—	0.33 – 3.72	below 0.33 or above 3.72
ng/mL	Female, 18 to 20	—	740 – 4,030	below 740 or above 4,030
ng/mL	Female, 21 to 30	—	670 – 3,730	below 670 or above 3,730
ng/mL	Female, 31 to 40	—	460 – 2,940	below 460 or above 2,940
ng/mL	Female, 41 to 50	—	320 – 2,360	below 320 or above 2,360
ng/mL	Female, 51 to 60	—	240 – 2,100	below 240 or above 2,100
ng/mL	Female, 61 to 70	—	180 – 1,950	below 180 or above 1,950
ng/mL	Female, 71 to 80	—	140 – 1,670	below 140 or above 1,670
ng/mL	Female, 81 and over	—	120 – 1,220	below 120 or above 1,220
ng/mL	Male, 18 to 20	—	840 – 4,510	below 840 or above 4,510
ng/mL	Male, 21 to 30	—	960 – 4,750	below 960 or above 4,750
ng/mL	Male, 31 to 40	—	710 – 3,840	below 710 or above 3,840
ng/mL	Male, 41 to 50	—	480 – 3,330	below 480 or above 3,330
ng/mL	Male, 51 to 60	—	290 – 2,850	below 290 or above 2,850
ng/mL	Male, 61 to 70	—	200 – 2,810	below 200 or above 2,810
ng/mL	Male, 71 to 80	—	150 – 2,490	below 150 or above 2,490
ng/mL	Male, 81 and over	—	120 – 1,370	below 120 or above 1,370

What the evidence says

DHEA-S falls steeply with age, so Sera reads it against the band for the client's age and sex on the day of the draw: eight age groups from 18 to 20 up to 81 and over, taken from Labcorp's mass-spectrometry interval. For women the band runs 67 to 373 μg/dL at 21 to 30 and 24 to 210 at 51 to 60; for men, 96 to 475 and 29 to 285. With no date of birth there is no band, and no status. There is no optimal band: no published source gives one for any age. Cohort studies link a result in the lowest fifth for age and sex to higher mortality, but they give no target number. Laboratories disagree most for adults under 35, where immunoassays read higher than mass spectrometry, so a young client's own laboratory may print a higher lower limit than Sera's; read a borderline result against the report's range. Time of day makes little difference. DHEA supplements raise it and glucocorticoid tablets lower it.

For women: This is an informative female reference range, not diagnostic. Unlike the reproductive hormones, DHEA-S does not vary meaningfully across the menstrual cycle. It declines steadily with age, so the range shown is the one for your age at the latest result.

Sources

DHEA sulfate (LC-MS/MS), test 005165 — Labcorp, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceEvery edge of Sera's age bands. Mass-spectrometry intervals by sex and age from 17 to over 80, in μg/dL, from Labcorp in-house data: women 21 to 30, 67 to 373; 51 to 60, 24 to 210; 71 to 80, 14 to 167; men 21 to 30, 96 to 475; 51 to 60, 29 to 285; 71 to 80, 15 to 249. Sera's 18 to 20 row uses Labcorp's 19 to 20 interval.
DHEA-sulfate test — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, US National Library of Medicine, 2026 · Government / public-health guidanceTypical ranges by age. Women: 18 to 29, 45 to 320 μg/dL; 30 to 39, 40 to 325; 40 to 49, 25 to 220; 50 to 59, 15 to 170; above 59, less than 145. Men: 18 to 29, 110 to 510; 30 to 39, 110 to 370; 40 to 49, 45 to 345; 50 to 59, 25 to 240; above 59, less than 204. The numbers are in two tables on the page, which were read; the quote is the sentence introducing them.
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, serum — Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Laboratories, 2024 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceA UK mass-spectrometry interval by age that falls with age in the same way (women 20 to 39, 1.2 to 8.0 μmol/L; 60 and over, 0.1 to 4.8), and the statement that DHEA-S shows no significant diurnal variation, so the time of the draw does not matter.

What DHEA-S (Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate) measures

An adrenal hormone that the body uses as a building block for sex hormones.

Low DHEA-S can be a sign of struggling adrenal glands. Levels also fall naturally as you get older.

Related hormone health markers

See DHEA-S in the full list of biomarker ranges

This page is a reference for practitioners, not medical advice. Sera's bands are practitioner targets for structured review, not diagnostic thresholds, and Sera does not diagnose or recommend treatment. Read a result alongside the interval printed by the issuing laboratory and the client's history and symptoms. Range set: Sera Production, version 1.0, last reviewed November 9, 2026.