Estradiol (E2) Levels: Normal Range by Age & Sex

Normal estradiol depends heavily on where you are in life: premenopausal women cycling normally can range from roughly 15 pg/mL (early in the cycle) up to about 350 pg/mL (around ovulation), postmenopausal women are typically under 30 pg/mL, and adult men usually run about 10–40 pg/mL. These figures are approximate and vary by lab and assay, and because the premenopausal range is so wide, a single result is only meaningful when you also know the cycle day or menopause status — ask your doctor to interpret it in that context.

Estradiol rises and falls dramatically over the course of a menstrual cycle, staying relatively low in the early follicular phase and peaking sharply just before ovulation. A level that looks 'low' or 'high' compared to a generic range may simply reflect normal timing rather than a problem, which is why fertility and hormone testing usually notes the cycle day the sample was drawn and compares the result to phase-specific ranges rather than diagnosing anything from one draw.

Low estradiol is most often caused by menopause or perimenopause, but it can also result from primary ovarian insufficiency, hypothalamic amenorrhea (often linked to low body fat or heavy exercise), or pituitary conditions that reduce hormone signaling to the ovaries. In men, low estradiol has been linked to bone health over time. Your doctor typically checks other hormones like FSH and LH alongside estradiol to help pinpoint the cause.

Yes. In men, high estradiol is often associated with obesity, since fat tissue converts other hormones into estradiol, and it can be associated with gynecomastia (enlarged breast tissue). Certain medications, liver conditions, and, rarely, hormone-secreting tumors are other possible causes. An elevated result in men is usually interpreted alongside testosterone and SHBG rather than on its own.