This is an estimate based on the High-3 system. Actual pay may vary.
Understanding the Military High-3 Retirement System
The High-3 retirement system is the most common retirement plan for U.S. military members who entered service on or after September 8, 1980, and have not opted into the Blended Retirement System (BRS). This system calculates retired pay based on a member's average basic pay over their highest 36 months (3 years) of active duty base pay.
How it Works:
Identify Highest 36 Months: The system looks at your basic pay (base pay) for all months of active duty service and identifies the 36 months with the highest pay. This typically occurs in the last few years of service, but not always.
Calculate Average Basic Pay: The basic pay from these highest 36 months is averaged. This average is then multiplied by a service retirement multiplier.
Service Retirement Multiplier: The multiplier is 2.5% for each full year of creditable active service. For example, 20 years of service would use a 50% multiplier (20 years * 2.5% per year). The maximum multiplier is 75% for 30 years of service.
Formula:
Annual Retirement Pay = (Average of Highest 36 Months of Basic Pay) * (Years of Service * 2.5%)
Example:
Consider a service member retiring with 24 years of service. Their basic pay over the last 36 months was:
Year 1: $85,000
Year 2: $86,500
Year 3: $88,000
1. Calculate Average Basic Pay:
( $85,000 + $86,500 + $88,000 ) / 3 = $86,500 (This assumes the highest 36 months fall within these three years and their base pay was consistent within those years for simplicity. In reality, it's an average of 36 monthly figures.)
This service member would receive an estimated $51,900 per year in retirement pay.
Important Considerations:
This calculator uses the provided annual basic pay for the highest 3 years to estimate the average. For precise calculations, the exact basic pay for each of the highest 36 months is needed.
Retired pay is subject to annual Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) starting the first full year after retirement.
This calculation does not include potential special pays or bonuses that might affect overall compensation during service but do not typically factor into the High-3 base pay calculation.
Service members retiring under the BRS have different calculation methods.
This information is for educational purposes. Consult official military pay charts and retirement experts for definitive calculations and advice.
function calculateHigh3Retirement() {
var yearsOfService = parseFloat(document.getElementById("yearsOfService").value);
var basicPayAnnual = parseFloat(document.getElementById("basicPayAnnual").value);
var basicPayAnnual2 = parseFloat(document.getElementById("basicPayAnnual2").value);
var basicPayAnnual3 = parseFloat(document.getElementById("basicPayAnnual3").value);
var resultValueElement = document.getElementById("result-value");
// Input validation
if (isNaN(yearsOfService) || isNaN(basicPayAnnual) || isNaN(basicPayAnnual2) || isNaN(basicPayAnnual3)) {
resultValueElement.innerText = "Invalid Input";
return;
}
if (yearsOfService <= 0 || basicPayAnnual <= 0 || basicPayAnnual2 <= 0 || basicPayAnnual3 0.75) {
multiplier = 0.75;
}
// Calculate annual retirement pay
var annualRetirementPay = averageBasicPay * multiplier;
// Display the result, formatted as currency
resultValueElement.innerText = "$" + annualRetirementPay.toFixed(2);
}