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Estimate your federal pension, check your retirement eligibility, and see your combined monthly income from your FERS annuity, the FERS supplement, TSP and Social Security — with a side-by-side look at retiring at 57, 60 or 62. Updated for 2026 rules.
Not sure? Switch to Standard to estimate it from your current salary and raises.
Same inputs, different retirement ages — see how a few more years (and the 1.1% bump at 62) change your annuity.
A FERS retirement calculator estimates your federal pension using your High-3 average salary, years of creditable service, and the applicable multiplier — 1% for most retirees, or 1.1% at age 62 with 20+ years. It also checks your retirement eligibility and can add the FERS supplement, TSP income and Social Security for a combined view of your monthly and annual retirement income.
FERS pension = High-3 average salary × years of creditable service × multiplier (1%, or 1.1% at 62 with 20+ years). A $100,000 High-3 with 30 years at 1% is $30,000 a year; the same at age 62 becomes $33,000 at the 1.1% rate.
Worked example. A $100,000 High-3, 30 years of service, retiring at 60: 1.0% × 30 = 30% → $30,000/year ($2,500/month). Wait until 62 and the multiplier rises to 1.1%, giving 33% → $33,000/year — a $3,000 raise for one more year and the age-62 bonus.
| Birth year | MRA |
|---|---|
| Before 1948 | 55 |
| 1948–1952 | 55 + 2 mo/yr |
| 1953–1964 | 56 |
| 1965–1969 | 56 + 2 mo/yr |
| 1970 and later | 57 |
| Situation | Rate |
|---|---|
| Most retirees | 1.0% |
| Age 62+ with 20+ years | 1.1% |
| Special (LEO/FF/ATC), first 20 yrs | 1.7% |
| Special, years beyond 20 | 1.0% |
| Type | Age | Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immediate, unreduced | 62 | 5 years | 1.1% if 20+ years |
| Immediate, unreduced | 60 | 20 years | — |
| Immediate, unreduced | MRA (55–57) | 30 years | — |
| MRA+10 (reduced) | MRA | 10–29 years | −5%/yr under 62 |
| Early (VERA/RIF) | 50 | 20 years | or any age with 25 years |
| Special (LEO/FF/ATC) | 50 | 20 years | or any age with 25 years |
| Deferred | 62 (or MRA) | 5+ years | collect later, no supplement |
| Unused sick leave | Added service | Extra pension* per year |
|---|---|---|
| 435 hours (~2.5 mo) | ~0.21 yr | ~$200 |
| 1,044 hours (~6 mo) | ~0.50 yr | ~$475 |
| 2,087 hours (1 yr) | 1.00 yr | ~$950 |
| 4,174 hours (2 yr) | 2.00 yr | ~$1,900 |
*Extra pension shown for a $95,000 High-3 at the 1% multiplier. Sick leave adds to your computation only, not eligibility.
1.0% × 30 = 30% → $28,500/yr ($2,375/mo).
1.1% × 30 = 33% → $31,350/yr ($2,613/mo).
Unreduced 1.0% × 30 → $28,500/yr, plus the FERS supplement to 62.
$19,000 reduced 25% (5 yrs under 62) → ~$14,250/yr.
1.1% × 40 = 44% → $48,400/yr ($4,033/mo).
1.7% × 20 + 1.0% × 5 = 39% → $39,000/yr.
Buyback adds 4 years of service — worth ~$3,800/yr on a $95k High-3.
1.0% × 15 = 15% → $12,750/yr; no FERS supplement on deferred.
The Federal Employees Retirement System covers most civilian federal workers hired since 1984. It rests on three legs: a defined-benefit basic annuity (your pension), Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan (the federal 401(k)). The pension is the piece this calculator focuses on, but a secure federal retirement usually depends on all three working together — which is why the tool also brings your TSP and Social Security into one combined income picture.
Your basic annuity is refreshingly simple: your High-3 average salary times your years of creditable service times a multiplier. The multiplier is 1% for most people, rising to 1.1% if you retire at 62 or later with at least 20 years. That 0.1% may sound small, but on 30 years of service it lifts your pension from 30% to 33% of your High-3 — a permanent 10% raise for reaching that milestone.
Your High-3 is the average of your highest 36 consecutive months of basic pay, which for most people is their final three years. It includes locality pay but excludes bonuses, most overtime and awards. Because it multiplies through your entire pension, a promotion or a couple of strong locality adjustments late in your career can raise your annuity for life. This is also why the proposed switch to a "High-5" average would reduce pensions — it would pull in two lower-earning years.
Creditable service is the years and months that count toward your pension. Two credits are easy to overlook. First, unused sick leave converts to extra service at 2,087 hours per year — it can't help you become eligible, but it pads your final computation, so hoarding sick leave near retirement genuinely pays. Second, military service can be bought back by paying a deposit, adding those years to your civilian service. Both can add thousands of dollars a year to your pension.
You can draw an immediate, unreduced pension at 62 with 5 years, 60 with 20, or your MRA with 30. Your MRA is between 55 and 57 depending on your birth year — 57 for anyone born in 1970 or later. There's also MRA+10: you can leave at your MRA with 10–29 years, but the pension is cut 5% for every year you're under 62, so many people postpone it to soften or remove that reduction.
If you retire before 62 with an immediate, unreduced pension, the FERS supplement bridges the gap until Social Security. It approximates the Social Security you earned during federal service — roughly your years of FERS service divided by 40, times your age-62 benefit — and stops the month you turn 62. It's a valuable benefit for early retirees, though (see the note below) it's targeted by pending legislation. Deferred and MRA+10 retirees don't receive it.
At retirement you choose whether to leave a survivor annuity for a spouse. A full election gives your survivor 50% of your annuity and reduces yours by 10%; a partial election gives 25% and reduces yours by 5%. Electing a survivor benefit is also what preserves your spouse's access to federal health insurance after your death, so it's about more than the monthly number.
Your TSP is where disciplined saving compounds. The government automatically contributes 1% of your salary and matches your contributions up to 5% total — so contributing at least 5% is essential to capture the full match. In retirement, a common rule of thumb is to withdraw about 4% of your balance a year. Social Security rounds out the three-legged stool; you can pull your personalised estimate from ssa.gov and enter it here to see your whole income at once.
FERS pensions receive a cost-of-living adjustment, but a reduced "diet" COLA: if inflation runs between 2% and 3%, you get 2%; above 3%, you get inflation minus one point. Most FERS retirees don't receive any COLA until age 62 (special-category and disability retirees are exceptions). Your pension and supplement are taxable as ordinary federal income, and state treatment varies widely — some states fully exempt federal retirement income, others tax it in full.
The costly errors are predictable: retiring under MRA+10 without realising the 5%-per-year cut, forgetting to make a military deposit before separating, under-contributing to the TSP and leaving match money on the table, and overlooking how survivor elections interact with health insurance. Running your numbers early — and revisiting them as your salary and service grow — is the single best habit for a confident federal retirement.
A FERS retirement calculator estimates your federal pension using your High-3 average salary, years of creditable service, and the applicable multiplier (1% or 1.1%). It also checks your retirement eligibility and can estimate the FERS supplement, your TSP income and Social Security, giving you a combined picture of your monthly and annual retirement income before you retire.
The basic FERS annuity is High-3 average salary multiplied by years of creditable service multiplied by a multiplier. The multiplier is 1% for most retirees, or 1.1% if you retire at age 62 or older with at least 20 years of service. For example, a $100,000 High-3 with 30 years at 1% gives $30,000 a year; at age 62 with 1.1% it becomes $33,000.
Your High-3 is the average of your highest three consecutive years of basic pay, usually your final three years. It includes locality pay and shift differentials but not bonuses, overtime (except certain firefighters) or travel pay. Because it drives your entire pension, raises and promotions in your last few years can meaningfully increase your annuity.
You can retire with an immediate, unreduced pension at age 62 with 5 years of service, age 60 with 20 years, or at your Minimum Retirement Age (55–57 depending on birth year) with 30 years. You can also retire at MRA with 10–29 years, but the pension is reduced by 5% for each year you are under 62 unless you postpone it.
The FERS annuity supplement, or Special Retirement Supplement, is extra income paid to eligible employees who retire before age 62 with an immediate, unreduced pension. It approximates the Social Security you earned during federal service and stops at 62. It is estimated as your years of FERS service divided by 40, times your age-62 Social Security estimate.
Unused sick leave is converted to additional creditable service for your pension computation using a 2,087-hour-per-year chart, so 2,087 hours adds one year of service. It increases your annuity but cannot be used to meet retirement eligibility or reach the 20 years needed for the 1.1% multiplier. Every bit of unused sick leave adds to your final pension.
As of 2026, current law still uses the High-3 average and pays the FERS supplement. Legislation (H.R. 1) that passed the House proposes switching to a High-5 average and eliminating the supplement for some future retirees, generally effective January 2028 if enacted, but it has not become law. This calculator uses current High-3 rules and notes where proposals could change them.
No. It provides estimates for educational and planning purposes only. Your actual FERS benefit is determined by your agency and OPM and depends on details like exact service dates, deposits, part-time service and survivor elections. Always confirm your figures with an official OPM estimate or your agency HR office before making retirement decisions.
Most FERS retirees earn 1% of their High-3 per year of service. If you retire at age 62 or later with at least 20 years, every year is instead credited at 1.1% — a 10% larger pension across your whole career. Unused sick leave does not count toward the 20-year threshold for this higher rate, so you need 20 years of actual creditable service.
Yes. By paying a military deposit (a percentage of your military basic pay plus interest), you can add your active-duty years to your civilian creditable service, increasing your pension. The deposit is usually well worth it, but it must generally be completed before you retire, and the interest grows over time — so making the deposit sooner rather than later saves money.
A full survivor annuity gives your spouse 50% of your pension after your death and reduces your own annuity by 10%. A partial election gives 25% and reduces yours by 5%. Beyond the income, electing a survivor benefit is what keeps your spouse eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits program after you die, which is often the deciding factor.
Yes, but a reduced one. If inflation is 2–3%, FERS retirees receive a flat 2%; above 3%, they receive inflation minus one percentage point. Most FERS retirees also don't receive any COLA until age 62 — special-category, disability and survivor annuitants are exceptions. The December 2025 FERS COLA was 2.0% under this "diet COLA" rule.
The calculator grows your current TSP balance plus your monthly contributions at your expected return until retirement, then estimates annual income using your chosen withdrawal rate (4% is a common starting point). Actual TSP income depends on your investments, market returns and withdrawal strategy, so treat it as a planning estimate rather than a guarantee.
Yes. Your FERS annuity and the FERS supplement are taxable as ordinary federal income (a small portion representing your own after-tax contributions is tax-free). State taxation varies widely — some states fully exempt federal retirement income while others tax it in full. Enter an effective tax rate in advanced mode to see an estimated after-tax figure.
Yes. The share button copies a link that encodes your inputs, so you can revisit or send your estimate, and you can print or save it as a PDF for your records. Everything runs in your browser — no personal salary or service data is uploaded or stored on any server.