OPM Retirement Calculator

Select FERS or CSRS, then enter high-3 salary, years of service, retirement age, and life expectancy. High-3 generally means the average of the highest-paid consecutive three years of service, but verify the salary and service used by your agency and OPM.

Set the survivor benefit percentage to model an election, then enter Social Security monthly benefits and the age when they begin. In this calculator, Social Security is included for FERS and is not added to CSRS projections. COLA and inflation affect the later-year and real-income projections.

For a broader income plan, compare the output with a pension income calculator or retirement income calculator. If you expect to draw from workplace savings, estimate those separately with a 401(k) withdrawal calculator or IRA withdrawal calculator.

The default FERS formula uses 1.1% because the modeled retirement age is at least 62 and service is at least 20 years:

FERS annuity before survivor reduction =
  high-3 salary * multiplier * service years

= $95,000 * 1.1% * 25
= $26,125 per year

The calculator models a 10% annuity reduction when a survivor benefit of at least 50% is selected. It calculates the survivor benefit as 50% of the unreduced annuity:

Annual survivor benefit = annuity * survivor percentage
                        = $26,125 * 50%
                        = $13,062.50
                        = $13,063 rounded

Annuity after survivor reduction = $26,125 * (1 - 10%)
                                 = $23,512.50
                                 = $23,513 rounded

Monthly annuity = $23,513 / 12
                = $1,959 rounded

The displayed 25% replacement rate is based on the annuity after the modeled survivor reduction divided by the $95,000 high-3 salary. The calculator’s first projection year shows $23,513 pension income and no Social Security because the entered Social Security start age is 67. In the last modeled year, age 86, pension income is $37,819 and Social Security is $38,460, for $76,279 nominal combined income.

For FERS, this calculator uses a 1.0% multiplier in most cases and 1.1% when retirement age is at least 62 and service is at least 20 years. The default meets both conditions. OPM’s actual eligibility rules can also depend on age, service, retirement type, and other factors, so the formula alone does not establish eligibility.

For CSRS, the calculator applies 1.5% for the first five service years, 1.75% for the next five, and 2.0% for years above 10. It caps the modeled annuity at 80% of high-3 salary. The supplied default CSRS calculation is $43,938 before any survivor adjustment. This is a calculator result, not a personalized official CSRS estimate.

The model reduces the employee annuity by 10% for a survivor benefit of 50% or more, and by 5% for a smaller positive survivor percentage. This is a simplified assumption; actual elections, costs, and survivor entitlements should be confirmed with OPM. A higher survivor benefit can provide more income to a spouse after your death but reduces the retiree’s payment while living.

These rows show formula scenarios, not eligibility decisions. Compare survivor options as a household decision: a larger survivor percentage generally means less monthly income while the employee is alive but more potential income for the survivor. For an additional annuity comparison, use a retirement annuity calculator.

The default projection begins Social Security at age 67. That is why the age-62 first-year result includes no Social Security. The calculator reports $26,400 annual Social Security once active before its age-based COLA projection. It also assumes a 2% COLA for the annuity and Social Security, and 2.5% inflation.

Nominal income is the future dollar amount. Real income adjusts that amount for inflation. In the last projected year, the calculator reports $76,279 total nominal income and $42,173 in real terms. Neither is a guarantee: actual adjustments and inflation may differ.

The annuity estimate is not take-home pay. Federal taxes and other deductions affect spendable income. Review IRS guidance on pensions and annuities and use a pension tax by state calculator for state comparisons. Consider Social Security timing separately with the Social Security calculator and claiming-age guide.

The calculator estimates the FERS annuity, applies its survivor election assumption, and adds modeled Social Security when the selected starting age is reached. For CSRS it uses a tiered formula and applies an 80% high-3 cap.

FERS multiplier =
  1.1% if age is at least 62 and service is at least 20 years;
  otherwise 1.0%

FERS annuity = high-3 salary * FERS multiplier * service years

Annuity after modeled survivor reduction =
  annuity * (1 - survivor reduction percentage)

Monthly annuity = annuity after survivor reduction / 12

The default example uses a 10% modeled reduction for the 50% survivor benefit. The separate survivor estimate is 50% of the annuity before that reduction. Confirm how your actual survivor election is priced and calculated rather than assuming the calculator’s simplified figures match your federal benefit statement.

Is the $1,959 monthly annuity the amount before or after the survivor election?

It is the modeled amount after the calculator’s 10% reduction for selecting a 50% survivor benefit. The pre-reduction FERS annuity is $26,125 per year; the survivor benefit estimate is $13,063 per year.

Does the calculator establish that I can retire at age 62?

No. It estimates an amount from the entered inputs. FERS and CSRS eligibility depends on applicable age, service, and retirement rules, including the type of retirement. Verify eligibility with OPM and your agency.

Should I choose a 50% survivor benefit or a smaller one?

A larger survivor benefit can leave more income for an eligible survivor but usually costs more in reduced income while you are alive. Compare household income needs, other survivor resources, health, and the actual election terms provided by OPM before choosing.

Why is Social Security absent from the first retirement year?

The default retirement age is 62, while the entered Social Security start age is 67. The model adds no Social Security before the selected start age.

Does CSRS include Social Security in this projection?

The calculator’s code adds Social Security income only for FERS. It does not add Social Security to the CSRS projection. Actual Social Security eligibility and any applicable coordination rules require a separate review.

Check your retirement system, high-3, service record, eligibility, and survivor election with OPM and your agency. Then compare the estimate with spending, taxes, and other income. Use a retirement withdrawal strategy calculator or tax-efficient retirement withdrawal calculator to coordinate annuity income with savings, and review how to withdraw from retirement accounts tax-efficiently.