Military High-3 Calculator
Calculate your military retired pay using the High-3 system. Enter your current base pay and see how your highest 36 months of service determine your retirement benefit.
Base Pay Details
Service Details
High-3 Retirement Score
Solid High-3 retirement benefit. Consider whether additional years of service could meaningfully increase your multiplier.
Monthly Retired Pay
$4,137
Multiplier
50%
Monthly Retired Pay
$4,137
$49,644/year
High-3 Average
$8,273
monthly base pay avg
Multiplier
50%
20 yrs x 2.5%
Lifetime Income
$3,346,132
over 40 years
High-3 Calculation Breakdown
How your retired pay is calculated step by step
High-3 Average
$8,273
avg of top 36 months
Multiplied by
50%
20 yrs x 2.5%
Monthly Retired Pay
$4,137
48% of final pay
Base Pay Projection
Monthly base pay by year with highest 3 years highlighted
Service Multiplier Progress
Your 2.5% per year multiplier toward the 75% maximum
You need 10 more years of service to reach the maximum 75% multiplier. Each additional year adds $207/month to your retired pay.
Personalized Insights
Actionable recommendations based on your numbers
Strong 50% multiplier
At 20 years of service with 2.5% per year, your multiplier is 50%. Each additional year adds 2.5%, up to the 75% maximum at 30 years.
High-3 average: $8,273/month
Your highest 36 months of base pay average to $8,273/month ($99,276/year). This is the foundation for your retired pay calculation: $8,273 x 50% = $4,137/month.
Pay raises add $1,773/month to your High-3
With 3.5% annual raises over 8 years, your High-3 average grows from $6,500 to $8,273/month. This translates to $887 more in monthly retired pay.
Only 48% replacement rate
Your retired pay is 48% of your final base pay. With 20 years of service, consider whether extending service could significantly improve your retirement income.
Retiring at the 20-year mark
At exactly 20 years, your 50% multiplier provides $4,137/month. Each additional year adds 2.5% ($207/month). Five more years would bring your multiplier to 62.5%.
$3,346,132 in lifetime pension income
Over 40 years with 2.5% annual COLA, your military pension will pay approximately $3,346,132 in total income. This guaranteed income stream is one of the most valuable military benefits.
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