CSRS Retirement Calculator

Calculate CSRS pension for legacy federal employees from years of service and high-3 salary.

By Konstantin Iakovlev · Updated September 2026 · Source: OPM — CSRS annuity computation

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%

Annual Pension

$56,250.00

Monthly Pension

$4,687.50

% of High-3

56.3%

CSRS Formula Breakdown

First 5 years (1.5%)$7,500.00
Next 5 years (1.75%)$8,750.00
Remaining years (2.0%)$40,000.00
Annual Pension$56,250.00
Monthly Pension$4,687.50

Pension with COLA (Full CPI)

Year 5$63,641.71
Year 10$72,004.76
Year 20$92,172.17

Use the CSRS Retirement Calculator above to calculate your results. Enter your values and see instant results — all calculations run in your browser.

Disclaimer: This calculator is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, financial, or legal advice. Results are estimates based on the information you provide and current rates. Always consult a qualified tax professional or financial advisor for advice specific to your situation.

How It Works

Longtime federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System can project their pension here using nothing more than their service history and salary record. Because CSRS annuities are generous and predictable, knowing your expected benefit shapes the most important questions of retirement: when to step away and what kind of lifestyle the pension will support.

CSRS uses a tiered formula tied to your high-3 average salary and years of creditable service. The first 5 years of service accrue at 1.5%, the next band from 5 to 10 years accrues at 1.75%, and every year beyond 10 accrues at 2%. Those percentages are summed and then applied to the high-3 average to produce the gross annuity. The result is capped at 80% of the high-3 average salary, a limit OPM says generally affects only people with more than 41 years 11 months of service.

Your high-3 is the average of your three highest consecutive years of basic pay, which are not always your final three years on the job. Unused sick leave is another factor worth tracking, since it adds to the service total used in the pension formula even though it does not count toward retirement eligibility. Finally, if you elect a survivor benefit, plan around a reduced gross annuity, because that election lowers the monthly check.

Example: 30 Years of Service, High-3 Salary of $80,000

  1. 1 Input: Years of Service = 30 years, High-3 Salary = $80,000.
  2. 2 Calculation: (5 years * 1.5%) + (5 years * 1.75%) + (20 years * 2%) = 7.5% + 8.75% + 40% = 56.25%. Multiply $80,000 (High-3) by 56.25%.
  3. 3 Result: Your estimated annual CSRS pension is $45,000.
  4. 4 Context: This $45,000 annual pension provides a significant and stable income stream in retirement. This example leaves out cost-of-living adjustments: CSRS annuities receive the CPI increase each year with no age-62 wait (that rule applies to FERS), and the calculator's COLA table projects the annuity at the rate you enter. It also leaves out deductions for health insurance or a survivor benefit.

Source: OPM — CSRS annuity computation · Last updated: September 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the CSRS pension calculated?
CSRS annuity uses a tiered formula: 1.5% of high-3 salary x first 5 years, plus 1.75% x next 5 years, plus 2% x remaining years. For 30 years at $90,000 high-3: (1.5% x 5 + 1.75% x 5 + 2% x 20) x $90,000 = $50,625 per year (56.25% of salary).
Do CSRS retirees get Social Security?
Most CSRS employees did not pay into Social Security and do not receive SS benefits for their federal service. If they qualify through other work, they now receive the full amount: the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which used to cut CSRS retirees own and spousal benefits, were repealed on January 5, 2025 for all benefit months from January 2024 onward.
Is CSRS better than FERS?
CSRS generally provides a higher pension (56% of high-3 at 30 years vs about 30% under FERS). However, FERS includes Social Security coverage and the TSP with matching, which can make up the difference. CSRS has been closed to new hires since 1987.

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