1. What is the FERS Pension?

The Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) pension is one part of a three-part retirement package for federal employees, which also includes Social Security and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The FERS pension provides a defined benefit based on your length of service and salary history.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the basic FERS pension formula:

Where:

• High-3 salary — Your highest average basic pay over any 3 consecutive years
• Years of service — Your total creditable federal service
• 1% multiplier — Standard multiplier (1.1% if retiring at age 62+ with 20+ years)

Note: The calculator automatically applies reductions if you retire under age 62 with less than 30 years of service.

3. Understanding Your FERS Benefits

Details: Your actual FERS pension may differ based on special provisions, unused sick leave, military service credit, or other factors. This calculator provides a basic estimate only.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter your highest 3-year average salary in dollars, your total years of federal service (including partial years), and your age at retirement (optional but recommended for accurate calculations).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between FERS and FERS-RAE?
A: FERS-RAE (Revised Annuity Employees) have a higher contribution rate (3.1% vs 0.8%) but the same pension calculation.

Q2: When can I retire under FERS?
A: Minimum retirement age varies from 55-57 depending on birth year, with at least 10 years service. Earlier retirement options may be available with 20+ years.

Q3: How is the high-3 average calculated?
A: It's the average of your highest 36 consecutive months of base pay (doesn't include bonuses or overtime).

Q4: What about special category employees?
A: Law enforcement, firefighters, and air traffic controllers have different multipliers (1.7% for first 20 years, then 1%).

Q5: Is there a maximum pension amount?
A: Yes, the maximum pension is generally 80% of your high-3 average salary.