Short answer: your yearly Washington TRS pension is 2% (Plans 1 and 2) or 1% (Plan 3) × your years of service credit × your average final compensation (AFC). Plan 1 is capped at 60% of AFC. Plan 3 adds your own investment account (see Plan 3). Starting early? See early retirement factors. Not sure of your plan? Which plan am I? Load an example in the calculator.
The formula by plan
| Plan | Formula (monthly) | AFC |
|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | 2% × years × AFC, at most 60% of AFC | Two highest-paid fiscal years in a row |
| Plan 2 | 2% × years × AFC | Highest 60 months in a row |
| Plan 3 | 1% × years × AFC, plus your investment account | Highest 60 months in a row |
DRS's worked examples
What counts
- Service credit is earned by month, by hours worked. Plans 2 and 3: 810+ hours in a school year that starts in September earns a full year. DRS Washington TRS Plan 2 page, Years of service; DRS Washington TRS Plan 3 page, Years of service
- Unused sick leave (up to 45 days) can help you qualify but isn't in the formula. DRS Washington TRS Plan 1, 2 and 3 pages, Using sick leave to qualify for retirement
- Federal pay limit. If you began public service on or after Jan. 1, 1996, salary above $360,000 (2026) doesn't count. DRS Washington TRS Plan 1 page, Federal benefit limits for high income members
- Early retirement multiplies the result by an early retirement factor in Plans 2 and 3. Retiring early
What the sources say
- Plan 1 and Plan 2: 2% x service credit years x average final compensation (AFC) = monthly benefit. Example: 23 years with a $5,400 monthly AFC is $2,484 a month.DRS Washington TRS Plan 1 page and Washington TRS Plan 2 page, Your income: formula and Example; RCW 41.32.498(2), 41.32.760
- Plan 1 benefits can't be more than 60% of AFC, which is the 2% formula at 30 years.DRS Washington TRS Plan 1 page, Your income; RCW 41.32.498(2)
- Plan 3 pension: 1% x service credit years x AFC. Example: 23 years with a $5,400 AFC is $1,242 a month. Your investment account is extra and depends on what you put in and how the investments do.DRS Washington TRS Plan 3 page, Washington TRS Plan 3 pension formula and Example; RCW 41.32.840(1)
- Plan 1 AFC is the average of your two highest-paid consecutive fiscal years (July 1-June 30).DRS Washington TRS Plan 1 page, Your income
- Plans 2 and 3 AFC is the average of your 60 highest-paid consecutive months, which can fall at the beginning, middle or end of your career.DRS Washington TRS Plan 2 page, Your income; RCW 41.32.010(6)
- If you began public service on or after Jan. 1, 1996, federal law limits the salary used in your benefit ($360,000 in 2026).DRS Washington TRS Plan 1 page, Federal benefit limits for high income members
Questions
What is AFC?
Average final compensation: the pay average in your formula. Plan 1 uses your two highest-paid fiscal years in a row (July-June). Plans 2 and 3 use your highest 60 months in a row, which can be anywhere in your career.
Is the result monthly or yearly?
DRS writes the formula with a monthly AFC, so the result is your monthly pension: 2% × 23 × $5,400 = $2,484 a month.
Is there a maximum?
Plan 1: 60% of AFC, which you reach at 30 years. Plans 2 and 3 have no percentage cap in the formula, though federal limits apply to high earners.
Does unused sick leave raise my pension?
No. Up to 45 days can help you qualify for retirement, but it isn't used in the amount.
Source: DRS plan pages for Washington TRS Plan 1, Plan 2 and Plan 3 (the DRS member handbook is now published as these web pages), retrieved Nov. 11, 2026, DRS plan pages (Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 3); RCW 41.32.010, 41.32.498, 41.32.760, 41.32.840. Last reviewed .