The gist
Class T-D uses a 2.5% multiplier on school service at a flat 7.5% contribution rate with no shared-risk provision. Class T-E uses a 2% multiplier (capped at 100% of final average salary) with a shared-risk contribution rate that can move between 5.5% and 9.5%. Class T-F uses the same 2.5% multiplier as T-D, capped at 100% of FAS, with a shared-risk rate that can move between 8.3% and 12.3%. T-E and T-F members also need age 65 with 3 years of service, or a 92-point combination with at least 35 years, to reach superannuation — a later bar than T-D's age-62 or 60-with-30 options.At a glance
- T-D: 2.5% multiplier (school service), flat 7.5% contribution rate, no shared risk
- T-E: 2% multiplier capped at 100% of FAS, shared-risk rate 5.5%–9.5% (base 7.5%)
- T-F: 2.5% multiplier capped at 100% of FAS, shared-risk rate 8.3%–12.3% (base 10.3%)
Why PSERS has this many classes in the first place
PSERS has restructured its membership classes multiple times as Pennsylvania has adjusted contribution rates and risk-sharing rules for new and existing members. Rather than one flat plan, PSERS runs a sequence of classes — T-C, T-D, T-E, T-F, T-G, and T-H — each with its own multiplier, contribution rate, and eligibility rule, and the newest two (T-G, T-H) add a defined-contribution component on top of the defined benefit that T-C through T-F don't have.
Which class you're in depends on when you first qualified for PSERS membership and, in some cases, an election you made at a specific point — Class T-D exists because Act 2001-9 let Class T-C members convert; Class T-F exists because Act 2010-120 let Class T-E members convert the same way. Two members with identical service years can sit in different classes purely because of that election history.
The three multipliers, in PSERS's own numbers
Class T-D pays 2.5% of final average salary for each year of school service (plus intervening military service), and 2% of FAS for any non-school service — a split most T-D members never notice because nearly all of their credited time is school service. There's no cap on how much of FAS the pension can reach.
Class T-E uses the same 2%-of-FAS structure as the original Class T-C formula, but with one difference: the total benefit is capped at 100% of final average salary. Class T-F uses T-D's 2.5% multiplier applied to all years of service (not split by school vs. non-school), also capped at 100% of FAS. In practice, a long-career T-F member's multiplier looks like T-D's; a long-career T-E member's looks like T-C's — the cap only starts to matter for members approaching or exceeding 40 years of credited service.
| Class | Multiplier | FAS cap |
|---|---|---|
| T-D | 2.5% school service + intervening military; 2% non-school service | None |
| T-E | 2% of FAS × years of service | Capped at 100% of FAS |
| T-F | 2.5% of FAS × years of service | Capped at 100% of FAS |
Contribution rates — and where "shared risk" actually bites
Class T-D pays a flat 7.5% member contribution rate for anyone who first qualified on or after July 22, 1983 (6.5% for members who qualified before that date) — fixed, with no shared-risk provision, so it doesn't move based on how PSERS's investments perform in a given year.
Class T-E and Class T-F both carry shared-risk/shared-gain provisions, which is the real dividing line from T-D. T-E's base rate is 7.5%, but it can move in 0.5% increments to as low as 5.5% or as high as 9.5% depending on the fund's investment performance. T-F's base rate is 10.3%, moving in the same 0.5% increments between a floor of 8.3% and a ceiling of 12.3%. Neither T-E nor T-F member ever pays outside those bands — but within them, the rate is not fixed the way T-D's is.
| Class | Base rate | Shared-risk range |
|---|---|---|
| T-D | 7.5% (6.5% if qualified before 7/22/1983) | None — fixed rate |
| T-E | 7.5% | 5.5% – 9.5%, in 0.5% steps |
| T-F | 10.3% | 8.3% – 12.3%, in 0.5% steps |
Eligibility isn't identical either — T-E and T-F ask for more
Class T-D uses the same superannuation eligibility as T-C: age 62, or age 60 with 30 years of service, or 35 years of service at any age. Class T-E and Class T-F both use a different, later bar: age 65 with at least 3 years of service credit, or any combination of age and service that totals 92 with at least 35 years of credited service. A T-D member can reach an unreduced pension at 60 with 30 years; a T-E or T-F member with the same 30 years at 60 (totaling 90, and short of the 35-year floor) hasn't yet qualified under either T-E/T-F path.
Vesting also differs at the edges: T-C and T-D vest after 5 years of service, while T-E and T-F require 10 years before an early-retirement annuity becomes available. Special early retirement (available at age 55 with 25 years for all four classes) is worth less in practice for T-E/T-F members, since their superannuation age is further away to begin with — the reduction factor is the same shape, but it's being applied against a later target date.
| Class | Unreduced retirement |
|---|---|
| T-D | Age 62, or age 60 with 30 years, or 35 years at any age |
| T-E | Age 65 with 3+ years, or age + service = 92 with 35+ years |
| T-F | Age 65 with 3+ years, or age + service = 92 with 35+ years |
A worked comparison at 30 years of service
Take three members, each with 30 years of school service and a $70,000 final average salary. The T-D member's pension is 30 × 2.5% × $70,000 = $52,500 a year, and there's no cap to worry about at 30 years. The T-F member's math is identical in shape — 30 × 2.5% × $70,000 = $52,500 — since the FAS cap only limits benefits above 100% of FAS, which 30 years at a 2.5% multiplier (75% of FAS) doesn't approach. The T-E member, using the 2% multiplier, comes out lower: 30 × 2% × $70,000 = $42,000.
The bigger real-world difference at 30 years isn't the dollar amount for T-D vs. T-F — it's whether either of them can actually retire unreduced yet. A 60-year-old T-D member with 30 years qualifies immediately (age 60 with 30 years). A 60-year-old T-F member with the same 30 years does not — 60 + 30 = 90, short of the 92-point threshold, and short of the separate 35-year floor — so despite an identical pension calculation, the T-F member's unreduced date is still ahead.
Before you make a decision
- Confirm your current PSERS class directly through your PSERS account — don't assume from years of service alone.
- If you're T-E or T-F, check your age-plus-service total against the 92-point/35-year threshold, not just the 30-year mark.
- Check your current shared-risk contribution rate (T-E: 5.5%–9.5%; T-F: 8.3%–12.3%) against the fixed T-D rate.
- Don't compare your expected pension or retirement date to a colleague's without confirming you're in the same class.
Frequently asked questions
What's the main difference between PSERS Class T-D and Class T-E?
T-D uses a 2.5% multiplier on school service with no shared-risk provision and a flat 7.5% contribution rate. T-E uses a 2% multiplier (capped at 100% of FAS) with a shared-risk contribution rate that can move between 5.5% and 9.5%, and a later eligibility age (65 with 3 years, or a 92-point/35-year combination, versus T-D's age 62 or 60-with-30).
Is Class T-F's multiplier the same as Class T-D's?
Yes — both use a 2.5% multiplier, though T-F applies it to all years of service and caps the total benefit at 100% of FAS, while T-D splits school vs. non-school service and has no cap. The real difference between T-D and T-F is the contribution rate (T-D flat 7.5%; T-F shared-risk 8.3%–12.3%, base 10.3%) and eligibility age (T-D's is earlier).
How far can PSERS shared-risk contribution rates actually move?
Class T-E moves in 0.5% steps between 5.5% and 9.5%. Class T-F moves in 0.5% steps between 8.3% and 12.3%. Class T-D has no shared-risk provision at all — its rate stays fixed.
Can I change my PSERS class after joining?
Class assignment and any elections between classes are governed by specific PSERS rules and windows — confirm your options directly with PSERS's Class Election resources rather than assuming a general right to switch at any time.
Where this comes from
Sources were reviewed on September 11, 2026. Rules and member records maintained by the retirement system control.
PSERS — Class ElectionOfficial source ↗PSERS — Class T-F ElectionOfficial source ↗PSERS — Quick Reference for Member Contribution RatesOfficial source ↗PSERS — Act 5 Quick Reference Charts on Rates and Class ChangesOfficial source ↗This page is general educational information, not a benefit determination, and not financial, tax, or legal advice. Check account-specific details directly with the retirement system.