Check with TPAFEstimate only, not an official benefit amount. Confirm with TPAF (609-292-7524) before you decide.
Your estimated monthly check
Fill in the form and we'll show your tier, your Maximum Option allowance, the date the early-retirement cut ends, and what working longer would add.
Your road to a full pension
Retire as planned, or work longer?
Your check at every age
Will your check go up?
Retiree health coverage
Try the NJDPB's own sample memberMary Jones, Tier 1, age 59 with 29 years 8 months and a $58,500 final average salary.Load her numbers: the NJDPB's example shows a Maximum of $2,629.55 a month ($31,554.55 a year).Planning Guide pp. 7-8, Option Example
Your tier at a glance
| Tier | Enrolled | Formula | Average of | No cut at | Early with |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Before July 1, 2007 | 1/55 | 3 years | 60 | 25 years |
| Tier 2 | July 1, 2007 to November 1, 2008 | 1/55 | 3 years | 60 | 25 years |
| Tier 3 | November 2, 2008 to May 21, 2010 | 1/55 | 3 years | 62 | 25 years |
| Tier 4 | May 22, 2010 to June 27, 2011 | 1/60 | 5 years | 62 | 25 years |
| Tier 5 | June 28, 2011 or later | 1/60 | 5 years | 65 | 30 years |
Pay counts only up to the Social Security wage limit for Tiers 2-5 ($184,500 in 2026). Which tier am I? Guidebook pp. 7, 25; Fact Sheet #79 p. 1
Common questions
How is a TPAF pension calculated?
Your yearly pension (the Maximum Option) is your years of service divided by 55 (Tiers 1-3) or 60 (Tiers 4-5), times your final average salary. For example, 22 years in Tier 1 gives 22/55, or 40%, of your final average salary.
Which tier am I in?
Tier 1: Enrolled before July 1, 2007. Tier 2: Eligible to enroll on or after July 1, 2007 and before November 2, 2008. Tier 3: Eligible to enroll on or after November 2, 2008 and on or before May 21, 2010. Tier 4: Eligible to enroll after May 21, 2010 and before June 28, 2011. Tier 5: Eligible to enroll on or after June 28, 2011.
When can I retire with no reduction?
At the service retirement age: 60 for Tiers 1-2, 62 for Tiers 3-4, 65 for Tier 5. Tier 1 members with 25 years also have no cut from age 55.
How much does retiring early cost?
Tier 1: 25 years of service before age 60. Reduced 1/4 of 1% for each month (3% a year) under age 55; no reduction from 55 to 60. Tier 2: 25 years of service before age 60. Reduced 1/12 of 1% for each month (1% a year) under 60 down to 55, plus 1/4 of 1% for each month (3% a year) under 55. Tiers 3 and 4: 25 years of service before age 62. Reduced 1/12 of 1% for each month (1% a year) under 62 down to 55, plus 1/4 of 1% for each month (3% a year) under 55. Tier 5: 30 years of service before age 65. Reduced 1/4 of 1% for each month (3% a year) under age 65.
Do TPAF pensions get a cost-of-living increase?
Not now. COLAs for all New Jersey pension systems have been suspended since June 28, 2011. Increases added before then stay.
Why doesn't the calculator show amounts for Options A-D and 1-4?
The NJDPB doesn't publish the reduction for each option. It depends on your age and your beneficiary's age. We show the Maximum and how much each option leaves your beneficiary. MBOS shows the real option amounts when you enter your beneficiary's birth date.
Is this the official TPAF calculator?
No. This is an unofficial estimate built from the NJDPB's own publications. It is not affiliated with the State of New Jersey. The official estimate is in MBOS, and the NJDPB decides your benefit.
Compare New Jersey with other states
- States where teachers don't get Social Security: NJ's planning guide suggests teachers pay Social Security tax, but no TPAF source says so directly.
- Teacher DROP plans by state: No. TPAF has no DROP or similar program.
- Teacher pension COLAs by state: COLAs have been suspended since June 28, 2011. Raises from before then stay. They restart only if the law allows.
- State taxes on teacher pensions, by state: At 62+, NJ lets you exclude up to $75,000 (single) or $100,000 (joint) of retirement income, if under income limits.
- Teacher pension multipliers by state: Tiers 1-3: years ÷ 55 × average salary. Tiers 4-5: years ÷ 60. Average of last 3 or best 3 years (Tiers 4-5: 5 years).
- Teacher retirement age by state: Age 60 for Tiers 1 and 2, 62 for Tiers 3 and 4, 65 for Tier 5. No minimum service at that age.
Plain-English guides
How your pension works
Which tier am I?Tiers 1-5 by enrollment date, and what each one gets.→The pension formula and the DCRPYears ÷ 55 or 60 × final average salary, the pay limit, and the DCRP for pay above it.→Early retirementThe cut per month by tier, and what you keep at every age.→Buying service creditWhat you can buy, the rate chart, and how to pay.→TPAF glossaryPlain-English definitions of the TPAF terms you'll run into.→
Planning your exit
After you retire
Working after retirementThe 180-day rule, TPAF jobs, and the exceptions.→COLA: suspended since 2011No cost-of-living increase under current law, and what that means.→Retiree health coverageThe 25-year rule, the June 28, 2011 line, and Medicare at 65.→Death and survivor benefitsLife insurance, survivor options and accidental death benefits.→
More calculators
Some states have a DROP program. The TPAF has none: None of the TPAF sources describe a DROP or similar program. If you want to keep working and boost your check, see One more year?
Source: TPAF Member Guidebook, July 2026 (SP-0733-0726), pp. 7, 24-35. Also: NJDPB Fact Sheet #79 (Feb. 2026), p. 1. Also: Employers' Pensions and Benefits Administration Manual, TPAF (June 2026), p. 5. Also: Retirement Planning Member Guidebook (March 2025), pp. 7-8. Statute: N.J.S.A. 18A:66-2, 18A:66-43, 43:15C-2, 43:3B-2. Last reviewed .