CSRS Retirement and the FERS vs CSRS Comparison
CSRS pays a tiered defined-benefit annuity: 1.5% for years 1-5, 1.75% for years 6-10, 2.0% for every year after 10, times your High-3. CSRS employees are exempt from SS tax on federal wages. The Social Security Fairness Act signed January 5, 2025 repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset retroactive to January 2024.
Reviewed by Jonathan Teplitsky · Updated June 2026
The CSRS formula
- Years 1-5: 1.5% × High-3 per year
- Years 6-10: 1.75% × High-3 per year
- Years 11+: 2.0% × High-3 per year
Worked example: 30 years, High-3 $90,000:
- 1.5% × 5 × $90,000 = $6,750
- 1.75% × 5 × $90,000 = $7,875
- 2.0% × 20 × $90,000 = $36,000
- Total: $50,625/yr ($4,219/mo)
About 56% of pre-retirement pay — much richer than comparable FERS (~$27,000 on the same High-3). Use the FERS calculator to compare.
CSRS eligibility
- Age 55 + 30 years
- Age 60 + 20 years
- Age 62 + 5 years
LEO/FF/ATC: age 50 with 20 years. See federal retirement age.
Discontinued Service Retirement (DSR) under CSRS
Immediate annuity for involuntarily separated employees (RIF, abolishment, reorg). Qualify at age 50+20 or any age+25. Annuity reduced 2% per year under 55. Must be pushed out by documented agency action.
CSRS Offset
Employees who left federal service before 1984, returned after 1+ year break, elected to stay CSRS. Pay both CSRS contribution and FICA during Offset service. At 62, OPM reduces the CSRS annuity by the SS portion attributable to Offset years.
The 2025 WEP and GPO repeal
For decades two provisions shrunk SS benefits for CSRS retirees:
- WEP: Reduced your SS benefit if you had non-federal SS jobs alongside CSRS.
- GPO: Reduced spousal/survivor SS by 2/3 of your CSRS pension, often wiping them out.
The Social Security Fairness Act (PL 118-273), signed Jan 5, 2025, repealed both retroactive to January 2024. SSA began issuing back-pay and increased checks in 2025. If you retired CSRS and worked any SS-covered job, or are a surviving spouse zeroed out by GPO, contact SSA.
FERS vs CSRS
| Feature | CSRS | FERS |
|---|---|---|
| Multiplier | 1.5/1.75/2.0% tiered | 1.0% (1.1% at 62+/20+) |
| SS coverage | No (FICA exempt) | Yes |
| TSP match | None | Up to 5% |
| COLA | Full CPI-W at any age | Diet COLA; none before 62 |
| Survivor cost | ~10% for 55% survivor | 10% for 50%; 5% for 25% |
| Disability formula | 40% of High-3 floor | FERS Basic + SSDI coord |
CSRS COLAs
CSRS retirees receive full CPI-W COLA every January regardless of age. Significant advantage over FERS.
Survivor annuity
55% of unreduced base annuity, ~10% cost. After 2025 GPO repeal, surviving spouses now collect both CSRS survivor annuity AND full SS spousal/survivor — often thousands more per month.
CSRS retirement estimate checklist
- Confirm service computation date + any military deposit owed.
- Pull three highest consecutive years (High-3).
- Apply tiered formula: 1.5%, 1.75%, 2.0%.
- Subtract survivor-election reduction.
- If outside SS-covered earnings, request fresh SSA estimate reflecting WEP repeal.
- Plan TSP withdrawal.
Sources
OPM Retirement Services, 5 U.S.C. Chapter 83. Hub: federal retirement.