FERS Retirement
Calculator
Estimate your FERS pension, check when you can retire, calculate the annuity supplement, and project TSP growth — all in one place.
Personal Information
Your basic federal employment profile
0.8% contribution · Standard accrual
Financial Details
Salary, service, and retirement preferences
Retirement Eligibility
3 path(s) available. Earliest retirement: age 57.
Immediate Unreduced (age 62+)
Unreduced immediate retirement at age 62+ with at least 5 years of service.
Immediate Unreduced (60+20)
Unreduced immediate retirement at age 60+ with at least 20 years of service.
Immediate Unreduced (MRA 57+30)
Unreduced immediate retirement at your MRA (57y 0m) with at least 30 years of service.
$3,300
per month · pension + FERS supplement
$3,300/mo
$39,600/yr
$3,300/mo
No reductions applied
Not eligible
Must retire before 62, unreduced annuity
30y 0m
1.10% accrual rate
Estimate only. This uses simplified OPM rules. It does not model military service deposits, part-time proration, disability retirement, phased retirement, court-ordered benefits, or tax withholding. Always verify with your agency's official retirement estimate.
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About this calculator
How it works, formulas, benchmarks, and step-by-step guide
Frequently asked questions
FERS system rules, survivor benefits, TSP matching, special categories, and more
Important Disclosure
This FERS retirement calculator provides estimates only and is not an official OPM calculator. Results do not guarantee actual benefits. The calculator uses simplified rules and does not model military service deposits, part-time proration, disability retirement, phased retirement, court-ordered benefits, or tax implications. Always verify with your agency HR or official retirement estimate. TSP projections assume constant returns and do not account for fees or loans.
What this does
Estimates your FERS Basic Annuity (monthly pension) using your High-3 average salary, years of creditable service, employee category, and retirement age. Projects your Thrift Savings Plan balance at retirement with automatic and matching government contributions. Combines pension, TSP drawdown, Social Security, and other income to estimate total monthly retirement income.
Who it is for
Federal employees covered under FERS, FERS-RAE, or FERS-FRAE who want to plan their retirement income. Also useful for special category employees (law enforcement, firefighters, air traffic controllers) who have different accrual rates. Helps anyone weighing retirement dates, comparing survivor benefit options, or estimating their income replacement rate.
How it works
The pension calculator applies OPM rules: High-3 × years of service × accrual rate. Regular employees earn 1% per year (1.1% at age 62+ with 20+ years). Special category employees earn 1.7% for the first 20 years and 1% thereafter. The calculator applies age reduction (5% per year under 62 if not eligible for unreduced retirement) and survivor benefit reduction (10% for full, 5% for partial). The TSP tab projects your balance using annual contributions, the 5% government matching structure, and a chosen return rate. The combined tab adds your Social Security estimate and other income to show total monthly cash flow.
Limitations
This calculator uses simplified OPM rules and does not account for every edge case: FERS disability retirement, military service deposits, part-time service proration, redeposits, phased retirement, or court-ordered benefits. TSP projection assumes constant returns and current contribution limits. Social Security is entered manually rather than estimated. The combined tab uses a 4% safe withdrawal rule for TSP, which may not match your actual withdrawal strategy.
Key calculations
- FERS Basic Annuity
- Monthly pension = High-3 Salary × Creditable Service Years × Accrual Rate. Regular employees earn 1.0% per year (1.1% at 62+ with 20+ years). Special category (LEO/FF/ATC) earns 1.7% for first 20 years, 1.0% thereafter.
- Unused Sick Leave Credit
- Unused sick leave adds to creditable service for annuity calculation. 174 hours = 1 month of service. Only applied to the annuity formula, not to retirement eligibility.
- Age Reduction (Early Retirement)
- If retiring before age 62 without meeting unreduced eligibility (60+20 or MRA+30 for regular; 50+20 or 25+ years for special), the annuity is reduced by 5% per year under age 62.
- Survivor Benefit Reduction
- Electing a survivor annuity reduces your gross annuity. Full survivor benefit costs 10% of the gross annuity. Partial survivor benefit costs 5%. The surviving spouse typically receives 50% (full) or 25% (partial) of your unreduced annuity.
- TSP Agency Contributions
- Automatic 1% of salary (begins after 3 years). Matching: 100% on first 3% of employee contributions, plus 50% on the next 2%. Total maximum agency contribution: 5%.
- Combined Retirement Income
- Total income = FERS Pension + Social Security + TSP Drawdown (4% rule) + Other income streams. Income replacement rate = total income ÷ desired retirement income × 100.
Reference ranges
- High-3 Average Salary
- The highest average basic pay you earned during any 3 consecutive years of service. This is typically your last 3 years. For a GS-13 Step 1 in Washington DC area, the 2025 base pay is approximately $117,962 with locality adjustment pushing it higher.
- Accrual Rate (Regular FERS)
- Standard rate is 1.0% per year of service. At age 62+ with 20+ years, the rate increases to 1.1%. A 30-year employee at 62 retires with 30 × 1.1% = 33% of High-3 as their annual annuity.
- Accrual Rate (Special Category)
- LEO/FF/ATC and other special category employees earn 1.7% for the first 20 years and 1.0% thereafter. A 25-year special employee earns 20 × 1.7% + 5 × 1.0% = 39% of High-3.
- Age Reduction
- 5% per year under age 62. If you retire at 57, the reduction is 25% (5 years × 5%). Partial years are prorated. This reduction is permanent—it does not end at age 62.
- TSP Contribution Limits (2025)
- Elective deferral limit is $23,500 ($31,000 with catch-up at age 50+). The total contribution limit including agency contributions is $69,000. The government matches up to 5% of salary.
- Income Replacement
- Financial planners often target 70–80% of pre-retirement income. With FERS pension (~30%), Social Security (~30%), and TSP withdrawals (~20%), many federal employees reach this target with careful planning.
How to use it
- 1.Choose your calculator tabStart with the Pension tab to estimate your FERS annuity, then use the TSP tab to project your Thrift Savings Plan balance. The Combined tab brings everything together with Social Security and other income.
- 2.Enter your employment detailsProvide your High-3 average salary, total years and months of creditable service, unused sick leave hours, and employee category (Regular, Special, FERS-RAE, or FERS-FRAE).
- 3.Set your retirement ageEnter the age you plan to retire. The calculator applies age reduction penalties if you retire before 62 without meeting unreduced eligibility criteria.
- 4.Select survivor benefitChoose full (10% reduction), partial (5% reduction), or no survivor benefit to see how your net annuity changes.
- 5.Configure TSP projectionEnter your current TSP balance, annual salary, contribution percentage, expected return, and retirement age. The calculator automatically applies government matching rules.
- 6.Review combined incomeIn the Combined tab, enter your estimated Social Security benefit and any other income. The calculator shows your total monthly retirement income and replacement rate.
All three use the same annuity formula. The difference is how much you contribute from your paycheck: Regular FERS (hired before 2013) contributes 0.8%, FERS-RAE (hired in 2013) contributes 3.1%, and FERS-FRAE (hired 2014 and later) contributes 4.4%. Your take-home pay is affected, but your eventual pension is calculated the same way for all three.
Unused sick leave is converted to additional creditable service at retirement: every 174 hours adds 1 month to your service computation. This increases your annuity but does not count toward retirement eligibility. For example, 2,088 hours (one year of sick leave) adds a full year to your service for the annuity formula, potentially adding 1% of High-3 to your annual pension.
If you retire before age 62 and you are not eligible for an unreduced retirement (such as 60+ with 20 years for regular employees, or 50+ with 20 years for special category), your annuity is permanently reduced by 5% for each year you are under 62. For example, retiring at 57 with MRA+10 results in a 25% reduction (5 years × 5%). This reduction never goes away—it stays with the annuity for life.
You can elect a survivor annuity for your spouse. A full survivor benefit provides your survivor 50% of your unreduced annuity and costs 10% of your gross annuity. A partial survivor benefit provides 25% and costs 5%. If you elect no survivor benefit and you predecease your spouse, they receive nothing from your FERS pension. Federal law requires spousal consent to waive the survivor benefit.
These special category employees can retire at age 50 with 20 years of covered service, or at any age with 25 years. Their annuity uses a higher accrual rate: 1.7% for the first 20 years and 1.0% thereafter. They do not face age reduction penalties when retiring under these provisions, even if under age 62.
After your first 3 years of service, you receive an automatic 1% agency contribution regardless of whether you contribute. On top of that, the government matches dollar-for-dollar on your first 3% of contributions, and 50 cents on the dollar on the next 2%. To receive the full 5% match, you need to contribute at least 5% of your salary. Failing to contribute 5% means leaving free money on the table.
This calculator does not yet include the FERS Annuity Supplement (also called the Special Retirement Supplement), which approximates the Social Security benefit you would receive at 62 and is paid to certain retirees between their MRA and age 62. You can manually add the supplement amount in the Other Income field on the Combined tab.
Agency estimates from GRB Platform, EBIS, or your HR office may include military service deposits, part-time proration, unused annual leave lump sums, voluntary contribution accounts, deposit/redeposit adjustments, and more precise data from your personnel record. This calculator gives a simplified estimate using the standard OPM formula. Always verify with your agency's official retirement estimate before making decisions.
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