FERS Retirement Calculator: Estimate Your Federal Pension
The FERS Retirement Calculator helps federal employees estimate their annual and monthly pension benefit under the Federal Employees Retirement System. By entering your High-3 average salary, years of creditable service, and retirement type, you can quickly see what your pension may look like at retirement. Use this tool to plan your federal retirement timeline and understand how factors like survivor benefits and unused sick leave affect your annuity.
Your average annual salary for the highest 3 consecutive years of federal service.
Total years of creditable civilian federal service, including any military buyback time.
Select the type of retirement you plan to take.
Your age when you plan to retire. Affects whether the 1.1% multiplier applies.
Electing a survivor benefit reduces your annuity to provide income for your spouse after death.
Unused sick leave is converted to additional creditable service (2087 hours = 1 year).
Your results will appear here
How to Use This Calculator
1. Enter your High-3 Average Salary — this is the average of your highest three consecutive years of basic pay during your federal career. 2. Input your total years of creditable federal service, including any military buyback years. 3. Select your retirement type: Regular, MRA+10, or Early Out/VSIP, which determines your annuity multiplier. 4. Enter the age at which you plan to retire — retiring at age 62 or older with 20+ years qualifies you for the enhanced 1.1% multiplier. 5. Choose your survivor benefit election to see how it reduces your annuity. 6. Optionally enter unused sick leave hours to see how they add to your effective years of service. 7. Review the estimated annual and monthly annuity results displayed below.
How FERS Retirement Benefits Are Calculated
The Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) annuity is calculated using a straightforward formula that takes into account three core factors: your High-3 average salary, your years of creditable service, and an annuity multiplier determined by your retirement type and age.
The FERS Basic Annuity Formula
The standard formula is:
- Annual Annuity = High-3 Salary × Multiplier × Years of Service
The multiplier is either 1% or 1.1% depending on your age and years of service at retirement.
Understanding the Annuity Multiplier
Most FERS retirees use the 1% multiplier. However, if you retire at age 62 or older with at least 20 years of creditable service under a Regular retirement, you qualify for the enhanced 1.1% multiplier, which increases your benefit by 10%.
What Is the High-3 Salary?
Your High-3 average salary is the average of your highest three consecutive years of basic pay. This is typically your final three years of employment but can be any three consecutive years if you had a period of higher pay earlier in your career. It does not include overtime, bonuses, or other premium pay.
Creditable Service and Sick Leave
Creditable service includes all civilian federal service, military service for which you have made a deposit, and any other qualifying periods. Under FERS, unused sick leave is credited as additional service time. The conversion rate is 2,087 hours per year, so 2,087 hours of unused sick leave equals one additional year of service.
Retirement Types
- Regular Retirement: Requires reaching your Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) with 30 years of service, age 60 with 20 years, or age 62 with 5 years. Retiring at 62+ with 20+ years earns the 1.1% multiplier.
- MRA+10: Retiring at MRA with 10–29 years of service. Uses the 1% multiplier and may include a reduction for each year under age 62.
- Early Out / VSIP: Offered during agency restructuring. Generally uses the 1% multiplier with potential reductions.
Survivor Benefit Election
If you elect a survivor benefit for a spouse, your annuity is reduced to fund that benefit. A full survivor benefit reduces your annuity by 10%, while a partial survivor benefit reduces it by 5%. No survivor benefit means no reduction, but your spouse receives no pension income after your death.
Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) by Birth Year
- Born before 1948: MRA is 55
- Born 1948–1952: MRA ranges from 55 to 55 years 10 months
- Born 1953–1964: MRA is 56
- Born 1965–1969: MRA ranges from 56 to 56 years 10 months
- Born 1970 or later: MRA is 57