FERS Pension Calculator - Complete Federal Retirement Income Calculator
Free FERS pension calculator for comprehensive retirement income planning. Calculate total federal retirement income including FERS annuity, TSP withdrawals, Social Security benefits, and survivor benefit costs. Our calculator uses OPM formulas to project your complete retirement income from all three FERS components and determine your income replacement rate.
Last updated: January 10, 2025
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Provides income to spouse after death
TSP & Other Income
Typical safe withdrawal rate: 4%
Complete Retirement Income Breakdown
$2,750/mo
$33,000 annually
100% survivor benefit protection
$2,475/mo
TSP Monthly
$1,667
Social Security
$3,333
$7,475/mo
$89,700 annually
89.7%
Target: 70-80% of pre-retirement income
Income Source Breakdown
FERS Pension Calculator Features & Components
Component 1 of 3
30-35% Income Replacement
Lifetime guaranteed income from federal government
Component 2 of 3
10-20% Income Replacement
Self-directed 401k-style retirement savings
Component 3 of 3
30-40% Income Replacement
Federal benefits with full Social Security coverage
Cost reduction
5% or 10% of Pension
Provides 25% or 50% of pension to surviving spouse
Target range
70-80% of Salary
Industry standard for comfortable retirement
Complete picture
Total Monthly Income
Detailed breakdown by income source
Quick Example Result
30 years service, $100K high-3, $500K TSP, full survivor benefit:
FERS Pension
$2,475
TSP Monthly
$1,667
Soc. Security
$3,333
Total Income
$7,475
How Our FERS Pension Calculator Works
Our FERS pension calculator provides comprehensive retirement income analysis by combining all three pillars of the Federal Employees Retirement System. The calculator uses OPM formulas for the FERS annuity, applies standard TSP safe withdrawal rates, and estimates Social Security benefits to give you a complete picture of your retirement income.
FERS Three-Tier Retirement System
The three-tier system is designed to provide 70-80% income replacement when all components work together. FERS pension provides the guaranteed base (30-35%), Social Security adds another layer (30-40%), and TSP withdrawals fill the gap (10-20%). Unlike the old CSRS system which relied solely on pension, FERS requires federal employees to actively save in TSP to achieve adequate retirement income.
Pie chart showing typical breakdown of retirement income sources
FERS Survivor Benefit Options
The FERS survivor benefit provides continued income to your spouse after your death, but it comes at a cost during your lifetime. You can elect full survivor benefit (spouse receives 50% of your unreduced annuity) which costs 10% of your monthly payment, or partial benefit (spouse receives 25%) which costs 5%. If you're single or your spouse has independent income, you might choose no survivor benefit to maximize your monthly income.
- Full survivor benefit: Costs 10%, spouse receives 50% of unreduced annuity for life
- Partial survivor benefit: Costs 5%, spouse receives 25% of unreduced annuity for life
- No survivor benefit: No cost reduction, spouse receives nothing after death
- Survivor receives continued FEHB health insurance coverage
- Cannot change election after retirement except in limited circumstances
- Former spouse court orders can require survivor benefit coverage
Sources & References
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) - FERS Retirement InformationOfficial source for FERS pension calculations and survivor benefits
- Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) - TSP Withdrawal Options and PlanningOfficial TSP guidance on retirement withdrawals and strategies
- Social Security Administration - Retirement Benefits for Federal EmployeesInformation on Social Security benefits for FERS participants
Need more retirement planning tools? Check out our FERS annuity calculator and retirement savings calculator.
Get Custom Calculator for Your PlatformFERS Pension Calculator Examples
Retirement Profile:
- Years of Service: 30 years
- High-3 Salary: $100,000
- Retirement Age: 62
- Survivor Benefit: Full (10% reduction)
- TSP Balance: $500,000
- Withdrawal Rate: 4%
Income Calculation:
- FERS: $100K × 30 × 1.1% = $33,000/year
- Survivor reduction: $33,000 × 10% = $3,300
- Net FERS: $33,000 - $3,300 = $29,700/year
- TSP: $500,000 × 4% = $20,000/year
- Social Security: $100,000 × 40% = $40,000/year
- Total: $29,700 + $20,000 + $40,000 = $89,700
Result: $7,475/month total retirement income ($89,700/year)
Income replacement rate: 89.7% (Excellent retirement readiness)
Without Survivor Benefit
Same profile, no survivor benefit
$7,750/mo (+$275 monthly)
Lower TSP Balance
$250K TSP (other factors same)
$6,642/mo (80% replacement)
Frequently Asked Questions
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