Estimate your Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) monthly and annual pension benefits.
Estimated Retirement Benefit
Formula Multiplier:
Total Years of Service:
Estimated Annual Pension:
Estimated Monthly Pension:
Understanding the FERS Pension Calculation
The Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) basic annuity is determined by a specific formula based on your length of service and your highest three consecutive years of pay. This calculator helps you estimate the "Gross" annuity before deductions like health insurance, survivor benefits, or taxes.
The FERS Formula
The standard formula used for most federal employees is:
[High-3 Salary] x [Years of Service] x [Multiplier] = Annual Pension
The Multiplier Rules
1.0% Multiplier: This is the standard rate for most employees under age 62, OR for those age 62 with less than 20 years of service.
1.1% Multiplier: If you retire at age 62 or older AND have at least 20 years of creditable service, your multiplier increases to 1.1% for your entire career.
Real-World Example
Imagine a federal employee, Sarah, who retires at age 63 with 25 years and 6 months of service. Her High-3 average salary is $100,000.
High-3: $100,000
Years: 25.5 years
Multiplier: 1.1% (because she is over 62 with 20+ years)
Calculation: $100,000 × 25.5 × 0.011 = $28,050 per year
Monthly Benefit: $2,337.50
What is "High-3" Salary?
Your High-3 average pay is the highest average basic pay you earned during any three consecutive years of service. This usually occurs during your final three years, but it can be any three-year period where your basic pay was at its highest. Basic pay includes locality pay but generally excludes overtime, bonuses, or travel pay.
function calculateFERS() {
var high3 = parseFloat(document.getElementById("high3Salary").value);
var age = parseFloat(document.getElementById("retirementAge").value);
var years = parseFloat(document.getElementById("yearsService").value);
var months = parseFloat(document.getElementById("monthsService").value);
if (isNaN(high3) || isNaN(age) || isNaN(years)) {
alert("Please enter valid numbers for Salary, Age, and Years of Service.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(months)) {
months = 0;
}
// Convert months to fractional years
var totalYears = years + (months / 12);
// Determine Multiplier
// Rule: If age 62+ and 20+ years service, multiplier is 1.1% (0.011)
// Otherwise, multiplier is 1.0% (0.01)
var multiplierValue = 0.01;
var multiplierText = "1.0%";
if (age >= 62 && totalYears >= 20) {
multiplierValue = 0.011;
multiplierText = "1.1%";
}
// Calculation
var annualBenefit = high3 * totalYears * multiplierValue;
var monthlyBenefit = annualBenefit / 12;
// Display Results
document.getElementById("resMultiplier").innerHTML = multiplierText;
document.getElementById("resTotalYears").innerHTML = totalYears.toFixed(2) + " Years";
document.getElementById("resAnnual").innerHTML = "$" + annualBenefit.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById("resMonthly").innerHTML = "$" + monthlyBenefit.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById("fersResult").style.display = "block";
// Smooth scroll to results
document.getElementById("fersResult").scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' });
}