Every month of service adds to the benefit formula, and extra service can get you to an unreduced benefit sooner (see one more year and retiring early).
Unused sick leave
One month of credit for each 20 days. For any part of 20 days left over, one more month if the remainder is at least one hour.
- Earned monthly under a duly adopted sick leave policy
- Would be paid full salary if used for illness
- No compensation received or to be received for it
- Last day of service with the last TSERS employer is within five years before the retirement date
Counts toward 30 years at any age, 25 years after 60, and 20 years after 50. Cannot be used to meet the minimum for a deferred benefit or the Survivor's Alternate Benefit.
A 'day' follows the employer's accrual policy (e.g., 12 hours for a 12-hour-shift worker, 7.5 hours for a 7.5-hour day).
Handbook: Adding to your Creditable Service, Sick leave| Unused sick days | 60 | 120 | 200 | 241 | 300 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of service | 3 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 15 |
| Adds a month (on $60,000) | $273 | $546 | $910 | $1,183 | $1,365 |
Sick leave converts at one month per 20 days, plus one month for any leftover of at least one hour. A 'day' follows your employer's policy.
We assume an 8-hour day unless you tell us otherwise.
Handbook: Adding to your Creditable Service, Sick leaveService you can buy
- Military, free: Active duty up to first eligibility for a non-dishonorable discharge is free if you were a teacher/state employee when you entered and returned within two years of earliest discharge, or later and then completed 10 more years as a contributing member.
- Military, paid: Otherwise, after five years of contributions you may buy first-period plus later required active duty at full actuarial cost (lump sum); generally not if creditable in another system.
- Refunded TSERS service: Refunded TSERS/LGERS/former LEO system service: buy back up to five years at full actuarial cost (lump sum) plus a $25 fee, after five years of contributions since rehire (or five years combined current membership in CJRS, LRS, LGERS or TSERS).
- Refunded service in another N.C. system: Refunded CJRS/LRS/LGERS service can be bought in that system after five years of membership service; it counts for TSERS eligibility, not the TSERS benefit amount.
- Other types: Out-of-state service, Federal government service, Temporary local and state service, Federally funded public community service in N.C., Educational leave, Omitted service, Probationary or waiting period service, Charter school service, Workers' compensation leave, Withdrawn UNC ORP service, Part-time local and state service, Extended illness leave, Other local government service, Parental leave.
- Service forfeited for a felony conviction cannot be repurchased.
- Pre-tax rollovers or plan-to-plan transfers can pay for purchases (Form 398).
Credit in LRS, CJRS and LGERS (and, for members first hired before Jan. 1, 2021, UNC ORP) counts toward TSERS eligibility, but only TSERS creditable service is used to compute the TSERS benefit. Handbook: Reciprocity Between Systems
- You can buy back refunded service (up to five years, at full actuarial cost plus a $25 fee) once you've contributed again for five years.Handbook: Adding to your Creditable Service, Withdrawn Service
- Military service can be free if you left a TSERS job for active duty and came back within two years. Otherwise you can buy it after five years of contributions.Handbook: Adding to your Creditable Service, Military Service
- Other purchases include out-of-state, federal, temporary or part-time, educational leave, parental leave and charter school service. You can pay with a pre-tax rollover.Handbook: Adding to your Creditable Service, Other Types of Service Purchases
Questions
How much is a year of service worth?
1.82% of your average a year. On a $60,000 average, about $1,092 a year, or $91 a month, for life.
How much does buying service cost?
Most purchases are at full actuarial cost. The handbook doesn't publish a price table; request a cost statement through ORBIT.
Does sick leave count toward retirement eligibility?
Yes: toward 30 years at any age, 25 years after 60, and 20 years after 50. It doesn't count toward a deferred benefit or the Survivor's Alternate Benefit.
Source: TSERS Handbook, Online handbook, pages modified Nov. 2024 - Oct. 28, 2026 (retrieved Nov. 11, 2026), pages Adding to your Creditable Service, Reciprocity Between Systems. Also: N.C.G.S. 135-4.5. Last reviewed .