Covered and non-covered service
The special rules reward time in a covered position. If you spent part of your career in a different federal job, served in the military, or have unused sick leave, that time still raises your pension at 1.0% a year, but it cannot meet the 20- or 25-year requirement and it does not earn the 1.7% rate. That split is the main thing generic calculators miss.
Related tools
- Exact service length calculator to count service to a specific last day.
- FERS Supplement calculator for the bridge to 62.
- MRA finder for special-category ages and mandatory separation.
- FERS pension calculator for a quick estimate by age.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets special-provisions retirement?
Federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, air traffic controllers, Customs and Border Protection officers and nuclear materials couriers, for service in positions the law treats as covered. Your agency decides whether each position is covered.
When can I retire?
At age 50 with 20 years of covered service, or at any age with 25 years of covered service. The annuity is not reduced for retiring early under these rules.
How is the pension calculated?
1.7% of your High-3 for each of your first 20 years of covered service, plus 1.0% for every other year of creditable service. Covered service beyond 20 years, service in non-covered positions, paid military service and unused sick leave credit all earn 1.0%.
Does non-covered service count toward the 20 or 25 years?
No. Only covered service counts toward eligibility. Non-covered federal service, military service and sick leave can raise the pension at 1.0% but cannot make you eligible, and the enhanced 1.7% never applies to them.
What is mandatory separation?
Covered employees generally must separate at the end of the month they reach 57 (56 for air traffic controllers), or later when they complete 20 years of covered service. Agencies can grant limited exemptions, which this tool does not model.
Do I get the FERS Supplement?
Yes, on this route you qualify for the Supplement, which approximates the Social Security you earned while federal and is paid until the month you turn 62. The amount here is an estimate from a Social Security proxy, not OPM's calculation.
Is anything I enter stored or sent?
No. Everything runs in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent or saved. Analytics record only that the tool was used.