FERS retirement calculator: what will your federal pension pay?
For federal employees under FERS. Enter your birth year, retirement age, service and High-3. The calculator figures your retirement type, the 1% or 1.1% multiplier, any age reduction, the survivor-benefit cost and the FERS supplement until 62.
1 · You
2 · Your service and pay
3 · For the FERS supplement
Last updated September 29, 2026. Formula from 5 U.S.C. §8415 and OPM’s FERS computation guide.
A FERS pension is your High-3 salary × years of service × 1%, or 1.1% if you retire at 62 or later with at least 20 years. Example: a $100,000 High-3 and 30 years gives $30,000 a year ($2,500 a month) before the survivor-benefit cost. Retire before 62 on an MRA+30 or 60+20 retirement and you also get the FERS supplement until 62.
How is the FERS basic annuity calculated?
Three numbers: your High-3 (highest average basic pay over any three consecutive years), your creditable service (plus unused sick leave for the computation only), and the multiplier.
| When you retire | Multiplier | Reduction | FERS supplement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 62, or 62+ with under 20 years | 1.0% | None, except MRA+10 | Only on MRA+30 or 60+20 |
| 62 or older with 20+ years | 1.1% | None | No (Social Security is available) |
| MRA with 10 to 29 years (MRA+10) | 1.0% | 5% per year under 62 | No |
When can I retire under FERS?
- Age 62 with 5 years of service: unreduced.
- Age 60 with 20 years: unreduced, with the supplement.
- MRA with 30 years: unreduced, with the supplement.
- MRA with 10 years (MRA+10): reduced 5% a year under 62, no supplement. You can postpone the start to reduce the cut.
Your Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) depends on the year you were born:
| Born | MRA |
|---|---|
| Before 1948 | 55 |
| 1948 to 1952 | 55 and 2 months, rising 2 months a year |
| 1953 to 1964 | 56 |
| 1965 to 1969 | 56 and 2 months, rising 2 months a year |
| 1970 or later | 57 |
What is the FERS supplement and how is it calculated?
The FERS annuity supplement (5 U.S.C. §8421) bridges the gap until you can claim Social Security. OPM estimates it as your Social Security benefit at 62 × your years of FERS civilian service ÷ 40. It stops at 62, and it is cut $1 for every $2 you earn from work above the Social Security earnings limit ($24,480 in 2026).
Worked example. Born 1970 (MRA 57), retiring at 57 with 30 years, High-3 $100,000, full survivor benefit, Social Security estimate at 62 of $2,000 a month.
Annuity: $100,000 × 30 × 1% = $30,000. Less 10% for the full survivor benefit = $27,000 a year ($2,250 a month).
Supplement: $2,000 × 30 ÷ 40 = $1,500 a month until 62, if you earn under $24,480 from work.
Monthly total until 62: $3,750.
How much does the survivor benefit cost?
A full survivor annuity (50% of your unreduced annuity to your spouse) costs 10% of your annuity; a partial one (25%) costs 5%. Electing less than full requires your spouse’s notarized consent. The election also decides whether your spouse can keep FEHB coverage after your death, which is often worth more than the payments.
Do FERS pensions get cost-of-living adjustments?
Not before 62 for regular FERS retirees (special-category retirees differ). From 62, FERS COLAs follow the “diet COLA” rule in 5 U.S.C. §8462: when CPI rises 2% to 3% you get 2%, and above 3% you get CPI minus 1%. For January 2026, Social Security rose 2.8% and FERS annuities rose 2.0%.
What else should I check before choosing a date?
- Social Security is separate and not reduced by your FERS annuity (the old WEP and GPO offsets applied to CSRS, not FERS, and were repealed for everyone in January 2025). See the Social Security calculator and how benefits are calculated.
- TSP withdrawals are taxed as income. The 401(k) withdrawal tax calculator works for the traditional TSP too.
- FEHB continues into retirement only if you were covered for the five years before you retire.
- Medicare premiums at 65 depend on your income two years earlier; see the IRMAA calculator.
Questions people ask
How do I calculate my FERS pension?
What is the FERS supplement?
What is my FERS minimum retirement age?
Does unused sick leave count toward my FERS pension?
How much is a FERS pension with 30 years of service?
Sources
Every figure on this page and where it comes from. Checked September 29, 2026.
- 5 U.S.C. §8415 (computation of basic annuity): 1% and 1.1% multipliers; 5%-per-year reduction for MRA+10 under 62.
- 5 U.S.C. §8412 (immediate retirement): Age and service combinations; the MRA table in §8412(h).
- 5 U.S.C. §8421 (annuity supplement): The FERS supplement and its earnings test.
- 5 U.S.C. §8462 (cost-of-living adjustments): The FERS “diet COLA” rule and no COLA before 62 for regular retirees.
- OPM: FERS computation: OPM’s explanation of the High-3, multipliers and sick leave credit.
- OPM: FERS eligibility: MRA table and retirement types.
- OPM: FERS annuity supplement: How OPM describes the supplement, its end at 62 and the earnings test.
- SSA: 2026 cost-of-living adjustment fact sheet: 2.8% Social Security COLA and the $24,480 annual earnings limit used for the supplement.
- OPM: 2026 COLA for retirees: 2.0% FERS COLA for January 2026.
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