About the FERS Pension Calculator
This FERS pension calculator estimates the basic annuity a federal employee earns under the Federal Employees Retirement System. Enter your high-3 average salary, your years and months of creditable service, any unused sick leave and the age at which you plan to retire; the calculator checks your eligibility, applies the right multiplier and shows the monthly and annual annuity.
It is built for federal workers comparing retirement dates — for example retiring at your Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) versus waiting until 60 or 62. The basic annuity is 1% of high-3 for each year of service, or 1.1% if you retire at 62 or later with at least 20 years. Retiring at the MRA with 10 to 29 years (MRA+10) cuts the annuity by 5% for each year you are under 62, unless you are 60 with 20 years.
The estimate follows OPM’s computation rules: unused sick leave is added to service for the computation only (at 2,087 hours per year), service is counted in whole months, and the survivor election reduces your annuity by 10% (full) or 5% (partial). It does not include the FERS annuity supplement, Social Security, TSP or cost-of-living adjustments, and special-category rules for law enforcement, firefighters and air traffic controllers differ.
With the default inputs, the monthly fers annuity is $2,177.08. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the fers pension calculator
- 1Enter your high-3 average salary (or your current salary as an estimate).
- 2Enter your year of birth so the calculator can set your MRA.
- 3Enter your planned retirement age and creditable service at that date.
- 4Add any unused sick leave hours and choose a survivor benefit option.
- 5Compare ages in the chart to see how waiting changes the annuity.
Formula and method
The FERS basic annuity multiplies your high-3 average salary by your creditable service (years plus whole months, with unused sick leave added at 2,087 hours per year) and by 1% — or 1.1% if you retire at age 62 or older with at least 20 years of service.
If you retire under the MRA+10 provision (at least your MRA with 10 to 29 years of service, and not age 60 with 20 years), the annuity is reduced by 5/12 of 1% for each full month you are under 62, i.e. 5% a year. A survivor election then reduces the result by 10% (full) or 5% (partial). The comparison chart moves your retirement date while adding or subtracting the same amount of service.
- High-3
- Highest average basic pay over 3 consecutive years
- Service
- Creditable service in years and months plus sick leave credit
- MRA
- Minimum Retirement Age: 55 to 57 depending on year of birth
Worked examples
Age 62 with 25 years and a $95,000 high-3
At 62 with 20+ years the multiplier is 1.1%, so the annuity is $95,000 × 25 × 1.1% = $26,125 a year, or about $2,177 a month — 27.5% of the high-3.
MRA+10 at 57 with 15 years
Born in 1972, the MRA is 57. With 15 years the unreduced annuity is $80,000 × 15 × 1% = $12,000. Retiring 5 years before 62 under MRA+10 cuts it by 25%, to $9,000 a year.
30 years at 57, 1,044 hours of sick leave, full survivor benefit
MRA with 30 years is an unreduced immediate retirement. 1,044 hours of sick leave adds about 6 months, giving 30.5 years: $110,000 × 30.5 × 1% = $33,550. The full survivor election reduces that by 10% to $30,195.
Frequently asked questions
How is the FERS pension calculated?+
The basic annuity is 1% of your high-3 average salary for each year of creditable service. If you retire at 62 or older with at least 20 years, the factor is 1.1%. For example, 30 years with a $100,000 high-3 gives $30,000 a year at 1%.
What is my FERS Minimum Retirement Age?+
The MRA is 55 for those born before 1948, rises by 2 months a year to 56 for those born 1953–1964, then rises again by 2 months a year to 57 for anyone born in 1970 or later.
What is the MRA+10 penalty?+
If you retire at your MRA with at least 10 but fewer than 30 years of service, your annuity is reduced by 5% for each year (5/12 of 1% per month) you are under 62. The reduction does not apply if you are 60 or older with 20 years.
Does unused sick leave count toward FERS?+
Yes. Unused sick leave is added to your service when computing the annuity, at 2,087 hours per year of credit. It cannot be used to meet the minimum service needed to be eligible to retire.
Do FERS annuities get cost-of-living adjustments?+
Regular FERS retirees generally receive COLAs only from age 62, and the FERS COLA is capped below CPI when inflation exceeds 2%. Disability and special-category retirees follow different rules.
How much does the survivor benefit cost?+
A full survivor annuity (50% of your unreduced annuity) reduces your annuity by 10%; a partial survivor annuity (25%) reduces it by 5%. Married employees need spousal consent to elect less than the full benefit.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial advice. Rates, fees and terms vary — confirm with your lender or a licensed advisor before making decisions.