Estimate your FERS or CSRS pension based on your service computation period and average pay. This calculator provides an estimate and is not a substitute for official calculations from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Understanding Your Federal Employee Retirement Pension Calculation
Calculating your federal employee retirement pension can seem complex, but understanding the core components can make it clearer. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) oversees these retirement plans, primarily the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS).
Key Components for Pension Calculation:
Creditable Service: This is the total length of time you have worked in federal service that counts towards your pension. It generally includes all periods of civilian service for which you have paid retirement deductions or made a deposit, as well as periods of temporary or indefinite service. Certain other types of service, like military service, may also be creditable under specific conditions.
High-3 Average Salary: This is the average of your highest earnings over any 36 consecutive months of your federal career. This figure is crucial as it forms the base for your pension calculation.
Retirement System Formula: The specific formula used to calculate your pension depends on whether you are covered by FERS or CSRS. Each system has different multipliers.
FERS Pension Calculation:
FERS has different formulas depending on your age and length of service at retirement.
For Retirements with 20+ Years of Service, Age 62 or Older:
(1% x High-3 Average Salary x Years of Creditable Service)
For Retirements with 20+ Years of Service, Age 60 or Older:
(1.1% x High-3 Average Salary x Years of Creditable Service)
For Retirements with Less Than 20 Years of Service (but at least 10), Age 62 or Older:
(1% x High-3 Average Salary x Years of Creditable Service)
Early Retirement (Voluntary or Involuntary) with 10+ Years of Service, Age 62 or Older (or under specific conditions):
(1% x High-3 Average Salary x Years of Creditable Service)
Early Retirement (Voluntary) with 10+ Years of Service, Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) but Under 62:
(1% x High-3 Average Salary x Years of Creditable Service) – This amount is permanently reduced.
For Retirements with 25+ Years of Service, Age 60 or Older:
(1.1% x High-3 Average Salary x Years of Creditable Service)
For Retirements with 25+ Years of Service, Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) but Under 60:
(1.1% x High-3 Average Salary x Years of Creditable Service) – This amount is permanently reduced.
Note for FERS: The standard multiplier is 1%. However, if you retire with at least 20 years of service and are age 62 or older, or if you retire with at least 25 years of service and are age 60 or older, the multiplier increases to 1.1% (or 1.2% if retiring after 2019 with 30+ years of service, though this calculator uses the more common 1.1% for simplicity when age and service criteria are met).
CSRS Pension Calculation:
CSRS pensions are calculated using a simpler, two-tiered formula:
For Retirements with More Than 5 Years of Service:
(1.5% x High-3 Average Salary x Years of Creditable Service up to 5 years) + (1.75% x High-3 Average Salary x Years of Creditable Service from 5 to 10 years) + (2% x High-3 Average Salary x Years of Creditable Service over 10 years)
Simplified for most CSRS retirees: A common calculation is 1.667% for each year of service if retiring with at least 5 years of service and reaching your MRA, or 2% if retiring with at least 20 years of service and age 60, or 25 years of service and age 50.
For Retirements with 5 Years of Service or Less:
(1.5% x High-3 Average Salary x Years of Creditable Service)
Note for CSRS: The 2% multiplier is generally applied to those retiring with 20 years of service at age 60, or 25 years of service at age 50. For CSRS Offset, Social Security deductions are applied to the pension amount.
How the Calculator Works:
This calculator takes your input for total creditable service (in years and months) and your High-3 average salary. It then applies the appropriate FERS or CSRS formula based on your selection to provide an estimated annual pension. Months of service are converted to a decimal for calculation (e.g., 6 months = 0.5 years).
Important Considerations:
Official OPM Calculation: This calculator provides an estimate. Your official pension amount will be determined by OPM based on your specific service records and retirement date.
Reductions: FERS pensions can be reduced if you retire before age 62 with less than 20 years of service, or before your Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) with less than 25 years of service. CSRS pensions may also have reductions.
Survivor Benefits: This calculator does not account for survivor benefit elections, which will reduce your pension amount.
Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs): FERS retirees receive COLAs after retirement, while CSRS retirees receive them immediately. This calculator estimates the *initial* pension amount.
Taxes: Your pension may be subject to federal income tax, and potentially state income tax depending on your state of residence.
Use this tool as a starting point for your retirement planning. For definitive answers, consult OPM resources or your agency's retirement counselor.
function calculatePension() {
var serviceYears = parseFloat(document.getElementById("serviceYears").value);
var serviceMonths = parseFloat(document.getElementById("serviceMonths").value);
var high3Average = parseFloat(document.getElementById("high3Average").value);
var retirementSystem = document.getElementById("retirementSystem").value;
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
// Clear previous results and error messages
resultDiv.innerHTML = "";
// Input validation
if (isNaN(serviceYears) || serviceYears < 0 ||
isNaN(serviceMonths) || serviceMonths 11 ||
isNaN(high3Average) || high3Average = 25 && totalServiceYears = 30) { // Common scenario for 1.1% if age 60+ OR 1.0% if age 62+ with 30 years
// For simplicity, we'll use 1.1% if 25+ years, and 1.0% if >= 62 with = 20 && totalServiceYears = 62){ // Approximation for age 62+ with 20-24 yrs
multiplier = 0.01;
} else if (totalServiceYears >= 25 && totalServiceYears = 60){ // Approximation for age 60+ with 25-29 yrs
multiplier = 0.011;
} else if (totalServiceYears >= 30) { // Approximation for 30+ yrs service
multiplier = 0.011; // Typically 1.1% when retiring at MRA or later with 30 years.
}
// Basic FERS: 1% for each year of service if retiring at MRA or later
// Using a simplified approach: If total service is 20 years or more and age is 62+, or 25 years or more and age 60+, use 1.1%
// This calculator doesn't ask for age, so we use common scenarios.
var effectiveMultiplier = 0.01; // Default for FERS
if ((totalServiceYears >= 20 && totalServiceYears = 30) {
effectiveMultiplier = 0.011; // Use 1.1% if 20-24 years OR 30+ years for common early retirement scenarios
} else if (totalServiceYears >= 25 && totalServiceYears = 25) {
effectiveMultiplier = 0.011;
} else {
effectiveMultiplier = 0.01;
}
pensionEstimate = effectiveMultiplier * high3Average * totalServiceYears;
formulaDescription = `FERS: ${effectiveMultiplier*100}% x $${high3Average.toLocaleString(undefined, { minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2 })} x ${totalServiceYears.toFixed(2)} years`;
} else if (retirementSystem === "CSRS" || retirementSystem === "CSRS_Offset") {
// CSRS calculation is tiered, but a common approximation is 2% for those with 20+ years and age 60, or 25+ years and age 50.
// For simplicity, we'll use a 1.667% or 2% approximation.
// If at least 20 years of service, use 2% multiplier. Otherwise, use 1.667%.
var multiplier = 0.01667; // 1.667%
if (totalServiceYears >= 20) {
multiplier = 0.02; // 2%
}
if (totalServiceYears < 5) { // CSRS rule for = 5 && totalServiceYears = 10) { // CSRS rule for > 10 years is 2%
multiplier = 0.02;
}
pensionEstimate = multiplier * high3Average * totalServiceYears;
formulaDescription = `CSRS: ${multiplier*100}% x $${high3Average.toLocaleString(undefined, { minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2 })} x ${totalServiceYears.toFixed(2)} years`;
}
if (pensionEstimate > 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = `$${pensionEstimate.toLocaleString(undefined, { minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2 })} per year`;
resultDiv.style.backgroundColor = "var(–success-green)"; // Success color
// Optionally, display the formula used:
// resultDiv.innerHTML += `Formula: ${formulaDescription}`;
} else {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Calculation error. Please check inputs.";
resultDiv.style.backgroundColor = "#dc3545"; // Error color
}
}