Blended Retirement System Calculator

BRS has two main retirement components. The pension pays a lifetime benefit based on years of service and a retired-pay base. The TSP is an individual retirement account: its balance depends on contributions, government contributions, investment performance, and withdrawals.

The calculator also estimates continuation pay, a one-time mid-career payment associated with an additional service commitment. It does not add continuation pay to the monthly pension or TSP-income cards. The actual continuation-pay offer depends on service rules and branch policy.

The estimate is useful for comparing scenarios, but it is not a complete military retirement determination. It does not establish eligibility, account for every pay-table or service-specific rule, calculate taxes, or guarantee investment returns. For disability-related questions, use the military disability retirement calculator. The military Redux retirement calculator can help compare a different retirement system.

Start with monthly base pay, years of service, current age, and planned retirement age. Base pay is not the same as total military compensation: allowances such as BAH and BAS are not included in this pension estimate. The calculator projects base pay forward using your annual pay-growth assumption.

Enter your current TSP balance and the percentage of base pay you contribute. The TSP return assumption affects the projected account balance, while the withdrawal-rate assumption turns that balance into an estimated annual and monthly income figure. These are planning inputs, not promises about future returns or sustainable withdrawals. Compare a different withdrawal assumption with the 4% rule retirement withdrawal calculator or pension withdrawal calculator.

Continuation pay is entered as a multiplier of monthly base pay. Inflation and COLA assumptions affect the later-year income projection. They are separate inputs: inflation estimates changes in general prices, while COLA represents the adjustment applied to the pension in the calculator’s projection.

Default-input worked example

The defaults are $6,500 monthly base pay, 20 years of service, retirement at age 40, current age 28, a 5% TSP contribution, $50,000 in current TSP savings, 7% TSP return, and 2.5% annual pay growth.

First, the pension multiplier is 2% for each year of service:

Pension multiplier = 2% × 20 years = 40%

There are 12 years from age 28 to age 40. Projected monthly base pay is approximately $6,500 × 1.025^12, or $8,390. The calculator’s computed annual pension is $41,961, giving:

Monthly pension = $41,961 ÷ 12 = $3,496.75, rounded to $3,497

At a 5% personal contribution, the calculator estimates a 5% government match rate: 1% automatic contribution plus 4% matching. On current annual base pay of $6,500 × 12 = $78,000, that means:

Personal TSP contribution = $78,000 × 5% = $3,900 per year
Government contribution = $78,000 × 5% = $3,900 per year

The projection grows the starting $50,000 balance and adds annual contributions and government contributions over the 12-year saving period. The resulting projected TSP balance is $269,875. At a 4% withdrawal assumption:

Annual TSP income = $269,875 × 4% = $10,795
Monthly TSP income = $10,795 ÷ 12 = $899.58, rounded to $900

Adding the displayed monthly figures gives $3,497 + $900 = $4,397. The calculator also displays $4,869 as real monthly income; this is a separate inflation-adjusted result, not the same figure as the straightforward sum of the two monthly income cards. Check the calculator’s result definition when comparing that figure with a household budget.

Under the BRS matching structure represented by this calculator, the government contribution includes a 1% automatic contribution and matching contributions tied to what you contribute. The simplified calculator logic reaches a 5% total government contribution when your own contribution is at least 5% of base pay. At 3% personal contributions, its match calculation is 3%; between 3% and 5%, the match rises by half a percentage point for each additional percentage point contributed. Contributing less than 3% produces a match equal to your contribution in this model.

That makes the contribution percentage a consequential input. A higher contribution can increase your own savings and, up to the modeled limit, the government match. But contributions also reduce take-home pay. Check current program details and your account eligibility with the official TSP BRS information.

BRS participants generally vest in automatic 1% agency contributions after two years of service; matching contributions vest immediately. Eligibility and service rules matter, so verify your own status in official materials rather than relying on a projection.

Continuation pay is separate from the TSP match and pension. The calculator’s default multiplier is 4, producing a displayed continuation-pay amount of $26,000 from $6,500 monthly base pay. Actual continuation-pay eligibility, timing, multipliers, and service commitments depend on applicable Department of Defense and service rules. See the DoD BRS continuation-pay overview. Treat continuation pay as a potential one-time payment, not recurring retirement income.

The table shows how changing one assumption affects the direction of the projection. Except for the default case, these are directional comparisons, not additional calculator outputs.

A scenario can improve one part of the estimate while creating a tradeoff elsewhere. For example, extending service raises the pension multiplier, but it also changes when you begin receiving retirement income. A lower TSP contribution preserves more current take-home pay but reduces the balance projected for later.

These formulas summarize the main calculations. The calculator uses annual compounding for its TSP projection and rounds displayed results.

Pension multiplier = 2% × years of service

Projected annual base pay = current monthly base pay × 12 × (1 + annual pay-growth rate) ^ years to retirement
Annual pension = projected annual base pay × pension multiplier
Monthly pension = annual pension ÷ 12

Projected TSP balance each year =
previous TSP balance × (1 + assumed TSP return)
+ that year's personal contribution
+ that year's modeled government contribution

Estimated annual TSP income = TSP balance at retirement × withdrawal rate
Estimated monthly TSP income = annual TSP income ÷ 12

For the default case, the pension multiplier is 40%, and the calculator displays annual pension of $41,961. It estimates TSP income at $10,795 per year. Together, the monthly income cards total $4,397 per month, or $52,764 per year. The calculator projects lifetime income of $4,327,174 through its assumed life expectancy of 82; that figure depends heavily on the assumed COLA, withdrawal path, and lifespan.

The pension is based on an eligible retired-pay base, not automatically on the final month’s base pay. This calculator projects current base pay forward using a single growth rate, so its pension estimate may differ from an official calculation based on a High-36 average. Check the official military compensation resources and compare with the military High-3 calculator.

The estimate also treats investment returns as steady annual rates. Actual TSP returns vary, and the order of good and bad returns can affect an account from which you are withdrawing. For a broader drawdown plan, compare the 401(k) withdrawal calculator and retirement withdrawal calculator. A retirement annuity calculator can help you compare a different source of guaranteed income.

Taxes are not deducted from the monthly pension or TSP-income cards. Traditional TSP withdrawals are generally taxable as ordinary income, while qualified Roth TSP withdrawals are treated differently. For withdrawal sequencing and tax considerations, read how to withdraw from retirement accounts tax-efficiently. A retirement income calculator can help put military benefits alongside other income sources.

Run a conservative, middle, and optimistic TSP-return scenario; then repeat the comparison with different service lengths and contribution percentages. Add other expected income and spending using the retirement needs calculator and retirement goal calculator. A 403(b) calculator can help compare workplace savings outside the TSP, while the military SBP calculator can help you assess survivor-benefit costs.

The projection is a planning estimate; confirm pension eligibility, continuation-pay terms, and TSP details through official military and TSP sources before making decisions.