Final average salary × class multiplier × years of service = your yearly Maximum Single Life Annuity
Handbook p. 14, About Your DB Plan; p. 21, Retirement Calculation; Exit Counseling 2025-26, PDF p. 4, Basic Retirement FormulaSame career, different class
A $60,000 final average salary and 30 years of service, at normal retirement:
Illustration only; it ignores each class's own retirement ages. Find yours in which class you're in. Handbook p. 21, Retirement Calculation; Let's Talk About PSERS Death Benefits (Mar. 2025), p. 1
PSERS's own example
The three numbers
- Your yearly pension at normal retirement (the Maximum Single Life Annuity) = final average salary x your class multiplier x years of service.Handbook p. 14 and p. 21, Retirement Calculation
- Class multipliers: T-C 2.0%, T-D 2.5%, T-E 2.0%, T-F 2.5%, T-G 1.25%, T-H 1.0%. Class DC has no multiplier.Handbook p. 21; Let's Talk About PSERS Death Benefits (Mar. 2025), p. 1
- For Class T-D, the 2.5% multiplier applies to school service; non-school service (non-intervening military, government, out-of-state, county commissioner, county nurse, maternity, cadet nurse corps) is credited at 2.0%.Let's Talk About PSERS Death Benefits (Mar. 2025), p. 1, footnote
Final average salary
- For Classes T-C, T-D, T-E and T-F, final average salary is usually the average of your three highest school years' salaries. For T-G and T-H it is generally the average of your five highest school years.Handbook p. 21, Final Average Salary
- Extra pay for added duties such as overtime, coaching or serving as department head counts, and so does using accrued leave. Payment for unused leave and bonuses for retiring do not count.Exit Counseling 2025-2026, PDF p. 4
- Part-time years may be annualized. If you leave before the end of a school year, PSERS may combine that partial year's salary with part of a prior year.Handbook p. 21
Years of service
Salaried or per diem: at least 5 hours a day and 180 days in a school year = 1 year. Hourly: 1,100 hours = 1 year (9- or 10-month full-time hourly positions requiring 900-1,100 hours: actual hours / expected hours). Partial years are days/180 or hours/1,100. No more than 1 year of credit in a school year. Handbook p. 15, Credited Service; Exit Counseling 2025-26, PDF p. 5 You may be able to add years by buying service credit.
Class T-D earns 2.5% for school service but 2.0% for non-school service (and for any Class T-C years). PSERS doesn't say whether T-F has a similar split.
The calculator lets T-D members enter years at 2.0%. Other classes use one multiplier.
Let's Talk About PSERS Death Benefits (Mar. 2025), p. 1The law may cap the pension for Classes T-E to T-H at a share of final average salary. No PSERS booklet we have states it.
We apply no cap.
Handbook p. 21, Retirement CalculationQuestions
What is the PSERS pension formula?
Annual Maximum Single Life Annuity = Final Average Salary x membership class multiplier x years of service. This is the MSLA at normal retirement; other options, early retirement and withdrawing contributions and interest apply reducing factors.
What counts in my final average salary?
Extra compensation for additional duties such as overtime or coaching or department head work; use of accrued leave counts as compensation. Payment for unused leave and bonuses received because of retiring are NOT included.
Related: the formula gives the maximum amount; payment options with a survivor pay less.
Source: PSERS Active Member Handbook, Current pa.gov edition (PDF revised Sept. 2023), pp. 14-15, 21. Also: Retirement Exit Counseling 2025-2026, PDF pp. 4-5, 8-23. Also: Let's Talk About PSERS Death Benefits (Mar. 2025), p. 1. Last reviewed .