Hawaii ERS Retirement Calculator
Estimate your Hawaii Employees' Retirement System pension. Pick your plan and membership date, enter your service and average final compensation, and see your maximum allowance, any early reduction, and what the simple COLA adds.
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Four plans for general employees
Your plan and your membership date set everything. The rules here come from Table 16 of the ERS actuarial valuation as of June 30, 2025, and apply to teachers and most State and county employees.
- Hybrid, joined after June 30, 2012: 1.75% x service x AFC, with AFC the average of your 5 highest years of base pay. You contribute 8.0% of base pay.
- Hybrid, joined before July 1, 2012: 2% x service x AFC, with a 3-year AFC. You contribute 6.0%. Service converted from the Noncontributory plan is figured separately; unconverted Noncontributory service earns 1.25%.
- Contributory (general), joined before July 1, 2012: 2% with a 3-year AFC. You contribute 7.8%.
- Noncontributory, joined before July 1, 2012: 1.25% with a 3-year AFC. No member contributions.
New general employees hired after June 30, 2012 go into the Hybrid plan. The post-2012 Contributory plan is only for police, fire, judges and elected officials, and they aren't covered by this calculator.
Maximum Allowance = Years of Credited Service x AFC x Multiplier
ERS's own example: a post-2012 Hybrid member retiring at 65 with 20 years and a $2,500 monthly AFC gets 1.75% x 20 = 35% of AFC, or $875 a month.
When you can retire
- Hybrid after June 30, 2012: unreduced at 65 with 10 years or 60 with 30. Early at 55 with 20 years, cut 5% for each year under 65.
- Hybrid before July 1, 2012: unreduced at 62 with 5 years or 55 with 30. Early at 55 with 20, cut 5% for each year under 62.
- Contributory: unreduced at 55 with 5 years. Early at any age with 25 years, cut 5% a year under 55 plus 4% a year under 50.
- Noncontributory: unreduced at 62 with 10 years or 55 with 30. Early at 55 with 20, cut 6% a year under 62.
The post-2012 Hybrid reduction is steep. Thirty years at 58 isn't enough for an unreduced pension; it's early retirement at 35% off. Waiting until 60 removes the whole cut. Twenty years at 55 loses half the allowance.
If you leave before you can retire, you keep a vested benefit as long as you leave your contributions in: 10 years of service for post-2012 Hybrid and Noncontributory members, 5 for the others. It's payable at 65, 62 (pre-2012 Hybrid) or 55 (Contributory).
The COLA
Every July 1, starting the calendar year after you retire, your original allowance goes up 2.5% if you joined before July 1, 2012, or 1.5% if you joined later. It isn't compounded. A $3,000 monthly allowance under the 1.5% rule gains $45 a month each year, reaching $3,450 after 10 increases. Under the 2.5% rule it gains $75 a year and reaches $3,750.
Refunds
A post-2012 Hybrid member who leaves with 10 or more years and takes a refund gets contributions plus interest times 120%. A pre-2012 Hybrid member with 5 or more years gets 150%. Taking a refund gives up the pension.
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Frequently asked questions
How is a Hawaii ERS pension calculated?
Years of credited service x average final compensation x the plan's multiplier. Hybrid members who joined after June 30, 2012 get 1.75% with a 5-year AFC. Hybrid and Contributory members who joined earlier get 2% with a 3-year AFC. Noncontributory is 1.25%. ERS's example: 65 with 20 years and a $2,500 monthly AFC is 1.75% x 20 x $2,500 = $875 a month.
When can a Hybrid member retire?
If you joined after June 30, 2012: unreduced at 65 with 10 years or 60 with 30 years, or early at 55 with 20 years with a 5% cut for each year under 65. If you joined before July 1, 2012: unreduced at 62 with 5 years or 55 with 30, or early at 55 with 20 with a 5% cut for each year under 62.
What are the Contributory and Noncontributory plans?
Plans for members who joined before July 1, 2012. General-employee Contributory members get 2% per year and are unreduced at 55 with 5 years, or can retire at any age with 25 years with a cut of 5% a year under 55 plus 4% a year under 50. Noncontributory members pay no contributions, get 1.25% per year, and are unreduced at 62 with 10 years or 55 with 30, or early at 55 with 20 at 6% a year under 62. Members hired after June 30, 2012 go into the Hybrid plan unless they're police, fire, judges or elected officials.
Does Hawaii ERS have a COLA?
Yes, every July 1 starting the calendar year after you retire. It's 2.5% of your original allowance if you joined before July 1, 2012, and 1.5% if you joined later. It isn't compounded, so each increase adds the same dollar amount.
How long does it take to vest?
10 years for Hybrid members who joined after June 30, 2012 and for Noncontributory members. 5 years for pre-2012 Hybrid and Contributory members. A vested member who leaves can draw the allowance at 65 (post-2012 Hybrid and Noncontributory), 62 (pre-2012 Hybrid) or 55 (Contributory).