The calculator
$5,500 × 50.0% is $2,750 a month, $33,000 a year, raised each December by the change in consumer prices. Add it to the monthly retirement income calculator.
Military retired pay by years of service
Retired pay is a share of your High-3: 2.5% for each year under the High-3 system and 2% under BRS. At 20 years that is 50% or 40%, $2,750 or $2,200 a month on a $5,500 High-3. Service past 30 years keeps counting, up to 40.
| Years of service | High-3 system | BRS | High-3, a month | BRS, a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retirement after 20 years | 50.0% | 40.0% | $2,750 | $2,200 |
| 22 years | 55.0% | 44.0% | $3,025 | $2,420 |
| Retirement after 24 years | 60.0% | 48.0% | $3,300 | $2,640 |
| 26 years | 65.0% | 52.0% | $3,575 | $2,860 |
| 28 years | 70.0% | 56.0% | $3,850 | $3,080 |
| Retirement after 30 years | 75.0% | 60.0% | $4,125 | $3,300 |
| 35 years | 87.5% | 70.0% | $4,813 | $3,850 |
| 40 years | 100.0% | 80.0% | $5,500 | $4,400 |
Monthly retired pay chart by High-3
Find your High-3 average basic pay on your Leave and Earnings Statements: the average of your highest 36 months of basic pay, usually the last three years. Allowances such as BAH do not count.
| High-3 a month | 20 years | 24 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,500 | $1,750 | $2,100 | $2,625 |
| $4,500 | $2,250 | $2,700 | $3,375 |
| $5,500 | $2,750 | $3,300 | $4,125 |
| $6,500 | $3,250 | $3,900 | $4,875 |
| $8,000 | $4,000 | $4,800 | $6,000 |
| $10,000 | $5,000 | $6,000 | $7,500 |
| $12,000 | $6,000 | $7,200 | $9,000 |
How military retired pay is calculated
- High-3 system: 2.5% × years of service × your High-3. Most members who joined before 2018 and did not opt into BRS.
- Blended Retirement System: 2% × years × High-3, plus automatic and matching TSP contributions while serving. Everyone who joined from January 1, 2018, and those who opted in.
- Career status bonus (REDUX): members who took the bonus lose 1 percentage point of retired pay for each year short of 30 and get cost-of-living raises 1 point below inflation. This calculator does not model it.
- Cost-of-living increases: retired pay rises each December 1 by the change in the Consumer Price Index.
The BRS lump sum
Under BRS you can take 25% or 50% of your retired pay up to Social Security’s full retirement age as a discounted lump sum. Until that age the monthly check is then 75% or 50% of normal; after it, retired pay returns to the full amount with all the cost-of-living increases. You elect it at least 90 days before retiring. To weigh a lump sum against monthly payments, use the pension vs lump sum calculator.
Survivor Benefit Plan
SBP spouse coverage costs 6.5% of the base amount (full retired pay or a smaller amount you elect) and pays your surviving spouse 55% of it for life, with the same cost-of-living increases. On $2,750 of retired pay that is $179 a month for a $1,513 survivor annuity. Premiums stop once you have paid 360 months and reached 70.
TSP, Social Security and a second career
Someone who joins at 18 to 22 and serves 20 years retires at about 38 to 42, so retired pay usually sits beside a civilian paycheck for years. Federal civilian work can add a FERS pension on top, and Social Security counts your military earnings like any others.
- Monthly retirement income calculator: add the retired pay to Social Security and what your savings pay. Its pension calculator works for any plan’s formula.
- How long will my money last: how far your TSP and other savings stretch on top of the pension.
- Coast FIRE calculator: with retired pay covering part of your spending, savings may already be enough to stop adding to.
- 72(t) calculator: penalty-free IRA payments before 59½, for TSP money rolled to an IRA after you leave.
- Social Security breakeven calculator: when to claim beside retired pay.
- Pension vs lump sum calculator: what a monthly pension is worth as a single payment.
Assumptions and sources
Estimates for active-duty retirement on the multipliers in 10 U.S.C. 1409. Reserve and Guard retired pay is figured from retirement points and is not covered, nor is disability retirement or the VA disability offset. Your High-3 is an input, so check it against your pay records. Checked 2026-11-04.
Figures checked on against 10 U.S.C. 1409, retired pay multiplier (2.5% High-3, 2% BRS), 10 U.S.C. 1401a, retired pay cost-of-living adjustments, 10 U.S.C. 1415, BRS lump sum of retired pay, 10 U.S.C. 1451, Survivor Benefit Plan annuity (55%), 10 U.S.C. 1452, Survivor Benefit Plan cost (6.5%) and DoD, Blended Retirement System frequently asked questions (PDF).