Public Pension Calculator

CalPERS Retirement Calculator

All 32 CalPERS retirement formulas — free, instant, private

Official benefit factor tables · No login required

Select your CalPERS retirement formula below to calculate your estimated pension benefit. Each calculator uses the official benefit factor table published by CalPERS, shows a full calculation breakdown, and links to the source PDF. Not sure which formula you have? Check your pay stub, myCalPERS account, or employer retirement documents.

School

State Miscellaneous & Industrial

State Safety

Local Miscellaneous

Local Safety

About CalPERS Retirement Formulas

The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) administers retirement benefits for over 2 million members across state, school, and local public agencies. Your retirement benefit is calculated using a specific formula assigned to your job classification and hire date.

Each formula has its own benefit factor table that determines what percentage of your final compensation you receive per year of service. The benefit factor increases as you approach and reach your formula's reference age. PEPRA members (hired on or after January 1, 2013) generally have different formulas than classic members.

This site implements all 32 CalPERS retirement formulas using official benefit factor tables parsed directly from CalPERS' published PDF documents. Every factor has been verified against the source document.

CalPERS Retirement — Frequently Asked Questions

How much is one more year of work worth?
Working one more year increases your pension in two ways: you add a full year of service credit (one more multiplier in the formula), and your benefit factor goes up because you retire at an older age. Together, the marginal benefit of working one more year is typically larger than the simple service-credit bump alone, especially below the reference age. Use the sensitivity ranking in the calculator to quantify it for your exact inputs.
What is service credit?
Service credit is the years (and partial years) you have worked under a CalPERS or CalSTRS covered position. One year of full-time employment equals one year of service credit. Part-time employees earn proportional service credit.
What is the difference between Classic and PEPRA?
Classic members were hired before January 1, 2013, or had existing CalPERS membership. PEPRA (Public Employees' Pension Reform Act) members were hired on or after January 1, 2013, with no prior CalPERS membership. PEPRA formulas generally have lower benefit factors at younger ages but the same or similar factors at older retirement ages.
Am I in CalSTRS or CalPERS?
If you are a certificated K-12 teacher, community college instructor, or certain administrator, you are likely a CalSTRS member. Most other California public employees — including school classified staff, state workers, and city/county employees — are CalPERS members. Some careers (e.g., switching from teaching to administration) may build credit in both systems; reciprocity rules then apply at retirement.
What is a benefit factor quarter-year cliff?
CalPERS benefit factors increase at quarter-year increments. Retiring three months later (e.g., at 55.25 vs 55.00) can raise your benefit factor by a small but non-trivial amount. Multiplied across your full years of service and decades of retirement, this can amount to thousands of dollars. The free CalPERS calculator on this site shows your exact factor at any quarter-year age.

Disclaimer: This site provides estimates for informational and educational purposes only. It is not financial, tax, or legal advice. For official benefit estimates, log in to myCalPERS or contact CalPERS directly.