Formula and class assumptions
A NYSTRS service retirement benefit is the final average salary multiplied by a pension factor that depends on your tier and total years of credited service. For most Tier 2–5 members with 20 or more years, the calculation approaches 2% per year of service. Tier 6 is different: 1.67% per year below 20 years, 35% of FAS at exactly 20 years, then 2% added for each year beyond 20. A Tier 6 member with 25 years therefore reaches 45%, not 50%.
Final average salary is the average of your three highest consecutive school years, wherever they fall in your record. It is subject to anti-spiking limits: for Tiers 3–6 the calculation excludes the part of any year's salary that is more than 10% above the average of the prior two years, and Tier 6 has additional statutory limits on includable compensation. Confirm the FAS against your annual Benefit Profile rather than using a single year of gross pay.
An age reduction can apply when you retire before the tier's unreduced age or service combination. Enter the official reduction percentage in the reduction field to see its effect; do not estimate it, because the schedule differs by tier.
Final average salary basis: Highest three consecutive school years for Tiers 2–6. A 2024 law moved Tier 6 from a five-year to a three-year FAS.
Worked example
$85,000 FAS × 2.0% × 25 years = $42,500 / year (Tier 4)That is about $3,542 per month before any early-age reduction, payment-option reduction, taxes and deductions. A Tier 6 member with 25 years would use 45% (35% + 2% × 5), or $38,250 per year.What this calculator does not decide
- Whether you are eligible to retire on a chosen date under your tier.
- The exact tier-specific pension factor and any 20-year or 30-year step-up.
- The official early-retirement reduction and payment-option reductions.
- The outcome of Tier 6 contribution rate changes and the FAS anti-spiking limits.