Estimate your potential monthly federal retirement income.
CSRS
CSRS Offset
FERS Basic (3.1%)
FERS Special Provisions (e.g., Law Enforcement)
Your estimated monthly retirement income will appear here.
Understanding Your Federal Retirement Income
Estimating your future federal retirement income requires understanding several key components: your pension, Social Security benefits, and other potential income sources. This calculator provides a simplified projection based on common federal retirement systems (CSRS and FERS) and your provided inputs.
Federal Pension Calculation
Federal pensions are primarily calculated based on your years of service and your "High-3" average salary. The High-3 is the average of your highest-earning consecutive 36 months of base pay. The multiplier used to calculate your pension varies by retirement system:
CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System): Generally uses a higher multiplier, especially for those with 30+ years of service. A common multiplier is 1.5% for the first 5 years and 2% for subsequent years, or a flat 1.5% for less than 5 years.
CSRS Offset: Similar to CSRS, but your CSRS pension is reduced by the amount of your Social Security benefit attributable to your federal service.
FERS Basic (3.1% Contribution): Typically uses a multiplier of 1% for each year of service. For those retiring at age 62 or later with at least 20 years of service, the multiplier increases to 1.1% per year.
FERS Special Provisions: For certain occupational groups (e.g., law enforcement, firefighters), the multipliers are higher (e.g., 1.7% for the first 20 years, 1.1% for subsequent years, or even higher depending on exact rules). This calculator uses a simplified 1.7% multiplier for illustrative purposes if "Special Provisions" is selected.
The annual pension is calculated as: (Years of Service) * (High-3 Average Salary) * (Multiplier).
Social Security Integration
If you are covered by Social Security during your federal career (most FERS employees and some CSRS Offset employees), your Social Security benefit will be a significant part of your retirement income. The calculator includes your estimated Social Security benefit as a separate input. For CSRS Offset employees, the calculator subtracts the Social Security portion of your benefit from your CSRS pension, as per offset rules.
Investment Growth & Inflation
The calculator also considers the potential growth of any personal savings or investments you may have. The Assumed Annual Investment Return is used to project the future value of these savings, which can supplement your pension and Social Security. The Assumed Annual Inflation Rate is crucial for understanding the purchasing power of your future income. While not directly used in the pension calculation, it's vital for long-term retirement planning to consider how inflation erodes the value of money over time. This calculator focuses primarily on the predictable income streams.
Estimated Monthly Income
The final result estimates your total monthly retirement income by combining your projected federal pension (annualized and divided by 12), your estimated Social Security benefit (annualized and divided by 12), and any other pension income. It aims to give you a baseline understanding of your guaranteed income in retirement.
Disclaimer: This calculator is for estimation purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Federal retirement calculations can be complex, and actual benefits may vary based on specific service computation dates, pay scales, agency regulations, and other factors. Consult official resources like OPM.gov or a financial advisor for precise calculations.
function calculateRetirement() {
var currentAge = parseFloat(document.getElementById("currentAge").value);
var retirementAge = parseFloat(document.getElementById("retirementAge").value);
var yearsOfService = parseFloat(document.getElementById("yearsOfService").value);
var agencyType = document.getElementById("agencyType").value;
var high3Salary = parseFloat(document.getElementById("high3Salary").value);
var estimatedSocialSecurity = parseFloat(document.getElementById("estimatedSocialSecurity").value);
var otherPensions = parseFloat(document.getElementById("otherPensions").value);
var expectedAnnualReturn = parseFloat(document.getElementById("expectedAnnualReturn").value) / 100;
var inflationRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById("inflationRate").value) / 100;
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
resultDiv.classList.remove("error"); // Clear previous error class
// — Input Validation —
if (isNaN(currentAge) || currentAge < 18 ||
isNaN(retirementAge) || retirementAge < 18 || retirementAge <= currentAge ||
isNaN(yearsOfService) || yearsOfService < 0 ||
isNaN(high3Salary) || high3Salary < 0 ||
isNaN(estimatedSocialSecurity) || estimatedSocialSecurity < 0 ||
isNaN(otherPensions) || otherPensions < 0 ||
isNaN(expectedAnnualReturn) || expectedAnnualReturn < 0 ||
isNaN(inflationRate) || inflationRate < 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter valid numbers for all fields.";
resultDiv.classList.add("error");
return;
}
// — Pension Calculation —
var pensionMultiplier = 0;
var basePensionAnnual = 0;
if (agencyType === "CSRS") {
if (yearsOfService 0.80) pensionMultiplier = 0.80;
} else if (agencyType === "CSRS_Offset") {
// CSRS Offset calculation is complex. Basic pension uses CSRS rates, then offset is applied.
// For simplicity, we calculate the potential gross CSRS pension first.
if (yearsOfService 0.80) pensionMultiplier = 0.80;
// Note: The actual offset calculation requires knowing the SS benefit attributable to federal service,
// which is complex. Here, we'll just apply the base multiplier and note the offset conceptually.
// A full calculator would need more detail on SS calculation.
basePensionAnnual = yearsOfService * high3Salary * pensionMultiplier;
// Placeholder for offset logic – a real calculation is more involved.
// For this simplified calculator, we'll just subtract a portion of SS if it exceeds pension,
// or indicate the offset needs manual calculation based on SSA statement.
// For now, we will just calculate the CSRS part and add SS later, then add a note.
} else if (agencyType === "FERS_Basic") {
pensionMultiplier = 0.01; // 1%
// Check for FERS minimum retirement age (MRA) and 20 years service for 1.1% multiplier
var mra = 62; // MRA varies slightly based on birth year, use 62 as common value
if (retirementAge >= mra && yearsOfService >= 20) {
pensionMultiplier = 0.011; // 1.1%
}
// Check for early retirement (age 60 with 20 years, or MRA with 30 years) – this simple calc assumes standard MRA retirement.
// Full retirement age multiplier (1.1%) applies if retiring at MRA or later with 20 years service.
} else if (agencyType === "FERS_Special") {
// Simplified FERS Special Provisions multiplier (e.g., Law Enforcement)
// Actual multipliers can vary, this is illustrative.
pensionMultiplier = 0.017; // Example: 1.7% for first 20 years, 1.1% after
if (yearsOfService > 20) {
pensionMultiplier = (0.017 * 20) + (0.011 * (yearsOfService – 20));
}
// Cap multiplier at 80% for FERS too.
if (pensionMultiplier > 0.80) pensionMultiplier = 0.80;
}
if (agencyType !== "CSRS_Offset") { // Calculate base pension directly for non-offset
basePensionAnnual = yearsOfService * high3Salary * pensionMultiplier;
}
// — Adjustments and Total —
var adjustedPensionAnnual = basePensionAnnual;
var totalAnnualIncome = 0;
var monthlyIncome = 0;
var socialSecurityAnnual = estimatedSocialSecurity;
var otherPensionsAnnual = otherPensions;
if (agencyType === "CSRS_Offset") {
// Approximate CSRS Offset: Reduce pension by estimated SS benefit.
// A precise calculation requires specific data from SSA and OPM.
// This is a rough estimate.
var grossCsrcPension = yearsOfService * high3Salary * pensionMultiplier;
var ssPortionToDeduct = Math.min(grossCsrcPension, socialSecurityAnnual); // Rough assumption
adjustedPensionAnnual = grossCsrcPension – ssPortionToDeduct;
if (adjustedPensionAnnual < 0) adjustedPensionAnnual = 0; // Pension cannot be negative
}
totalAnnualIncome = adjustedPensionAnnual + socialSecurityAnnual + otherPensionsAnnual;
monthlyIncome = totalAnnualIncome / 12;
// — Display Result —
// Format monthly income to two decimal places
var formattedMonthlyIncome = monthlyIncome.toFixed(2);
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Estimated Monthly Retirement Income: $" + formattedMonthlyIncome;
// Note: Investment growth and inflation are complex to project accurately without more data
// and are generally considered separate planning tools. This calculator focuses on guaranteed/estimated income streams.
}