FERS Retirement Calculator
Estimate your FERS basic annuity and see how your high-3 pay, service years and retirement timing shape the pension income you can plan around.
- 2026 figures, checked October 26, 2026
- 1 official source
- Private: runs in your browser
- How we check our work
Result
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Verify before you act: review these results with your agency's benefits office and a fiduciary financial planner before making any decision based on them.
Suggestions for your numbers
Updated as you type, from your inputs only. General information, not personal advice; confirm any change with a qualified professional.
See it over time
Hover over or tap the chart to see the numbers for any point.
What is a FERS pension?
A FERS pension is the basic annuity paid under the Federal Employees Retirement System. This FERS retirement calculator estimates that annuity using your high-3 average salary, creditable service and the applicable multiplier. It gives you an annual estimate and a monthly equivalent.
The high-3 is the average of your highest-paid consecutive years of basic pay. Under the formula used here, the annuity is high-3 multiplied by service years and 1%. The multiplier is 1.1% if you retire at age 62 or older with at least 20 years of service. This estimate covers the basic annuity, not all sources of retirement income.
Why a FERS pension estimate matters
Your estimated annuity can help you compare retirement timing with expected household expenses. It can also help you decide whether to keep working, review a planned move, or adjust how much you save outside the pension. The estimate is a starting point for a retirement budget, not a promise of the amount you will receive.
The basic annuity is only one part of your financial picture. It does not represent your Thrift Savings Plan balance, Social Security income, taxes, insurance costs or any survivor benefit election. Compare the estimate with those other income sources before making decisions about spending or when to retire.
How to use this FERS pension calculator
- Enter your high-3 average salary. Use the figure supported by your federal pay records, rather than your current salary if it does not reflect your highest-paid consecutive years.
- Enter your creditable service in years. Check your service history and any periods that may need review before relying on the estimate.
- Enter your age at retirement. The calculator uses age and service to apply the 1.1% multiplier when the stated age and service conditions are met; otherwise, the formula uses 1%.
- Review the annual annuity, any displayed early-retirement reduction and the monthly estimate. Try different retirement dates or pay assumptions to see how the estimate changes, then check the assumptions against your records.
FERS pension calculator example
Worked example
With a high-3 average salary of $95,000, 25 years of creditable service and a retirement age of 62, the sample uses the 1.1% multiplier. The annuity before reduction is $26,125. With a 0% early-retirement reduction, the annual annuity is $26,125, or $2,177 a month. This follows the formula: $95,000 × 25 × 1.1%.
How to read your FERS annuity results
The annual annuity is the estimated basic pension for a year. The monthly figure expresses that annual amount as a monthly equivalent; it is not necessarily the exact payment you will receive after deductions or elections.
The multiplier shows which rate the calculator applied. The annuity before reduction is the formula result before any early-retirement adjustment. If a reduction appears, the annual annuity reflects it. Review the inputs first if the multiplier or reduction differs from what you expected.
How to improve your FERS retirement estimate
- 01
Check your service record
Review your federal employment history and ask for help resolving missing or disputed service periods. Creditable service affects the formula directly, so an inaccurate service figure can distort your estimate.
- 02
Use accurate high-3 pay information
Compare the high-3 figure with your pay records. If you expect a change in pay, test a realistic estimate and consider how the timing of that change could affect the high-3 period used in your calculation.
- 03
Compare retirement dates
Run estimates for different dates and service totals. More service can raise the formula result, and the 1.1% multiplier applies when you are age 62 or older with at least 20 years of service. Consider the pension alongside savings and other expected income before choosing a date.
Common FERS calculator mistakes
Entering current salary as high-3
Your current pay may not match the high-3 average. Use the appropriate pay history figure, and confirm how your basic pay is treated in your official estimate.
Assuming the estimate is take-home pay
The calculator estimates a basic annuity. It does not subtract taxes, insurance premiums or other deductions, and it does not add other retirement income. Build those items into your budget separately.
Treating the result as an official award
The calculation depends on the information you enter and does not confirm your eligibility or service record. Confirm your service, eligibility and any reduction with OPM or a qualified federal benefits professional before making a retirement decision.
The FERS pension formula
Annuity = high-3 x years x 1% (1.1% at 62+ with 20 years).
Key terms
- FERS basic annuity
- The pension benefit estimated by this calculator under the Federal Employees Retirement System.
- High-3
- The average of your highest-paid consecutive years of basic pay used in the annuity formula.
- Creditable service
- Service time counted in the annuity calculation, as determined from your employment record and applicable rules.
- Multiplier
- The percentage applied to high-3 pay for each year of creditable service: 1%, or 1.1% when the age and service conditions are met.
FERS pension questions
Does this calculator include my Thrift Savings Plan?
No. It estimates the FERS basic annuity only. Review your Thrift Savings Plan separately and include it with your other expected retirement income.
Why does the calculator use a 1.1% multiplier?
The formula uses 1.1% when you retire at age 62 or older with at least 20 years of service. Otherwise, it uses 1%.
Is the monthly result the amount deposited in my account?
Not necessarily. It is the annual annuity expressed as a monthly equivalent. Deductions and benefit elections can affect the amount you receive.
Where can I confirm the calculation?
Review OPM's FERS basic annuity computation and request an official estimate based on your records. For retirement decisions, confirm your circumstances with OPM or a qualified federal benefits professional.
Sources
Before you act on this result. Cordwell calculators and guides are educational estimates, not legal, tax, investment, lending or other professional advice. They rely on the numbers you enter and on simplified rules, and they can't see your full situation. Before you file, sign, borrow, invest, hire, change your withholding or form a business based on anything here, meet with your agency's benefits office and a fiduciary financial planner who can review your specific facts and confirm the numbers. Rules change, and official agency guidance always controls.