New Hampshire NHRS Retirement Calculator
Estimate your New Hampshire Retirement System pension for Group I employees and teachers or Group II police and firefighters. Pick your group and start date, enter your service and average final compensation, and see what NHRS would pay.
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Group I: 1/60, then 1/66
Before Social Security full retirement age: AFC x service / 60
After: AFC x service / 66
RSA 100-A:5, I(b) sets the same formula for every Group I member, whatever the start date. The 2011 reform didn't lower the accrual to 1/66 for new members. It changed when they can retire and how AFC is averaged. With 30 years and a $60,000 AFC, a Group I member gets $30,000 a year, which drops to $27,273 at Social Security full retirement age (67 for anyone born in 1960 or later).
AFC is your highest 3 years of earnable compensation if you were vested (10 years) before January 1, 2012, and your highest 5 years otherwise.
Group I retirement ages
Started before July 1, 2011: service retirement at 60. You can go earlier from 50 once vested, or with 20 years if your age plus service is at least 70. The cut is per month before 60 and depends on service: 1/8 of 1% with 35+ years, 1/4% with 30-34, 1/3% with 25-29, 5/12% with 20-24, and 5/9% under 20. Leave at 55 with 30 years and you lose 15%.
Started on or after July 1, 2011: service retirement at 65. With 30 years you can go from 60, reduced 1/4 of 1% for each month before 65, so 15% at 60.
Group II: police and fire
If you started before July 1, 2011 and were vested before January 1, 2014, you can retire at 45 with 20 years on 2.5% of AFC per year, up to 40 years. If you started on or after July 1, 2011, it's 2% per year, up to 42.5 years, at 52.5 with 25 years. You can go from 50 with 25 years, reduced 1/4 of 1% a month before 52.5. Any Group II member still working at 60 can retire regardless of service.
A post-2011 officer with 25 years and an $80,000 AFC gets $40,000 a year at 52.5. Under the old 2.5% rule the same career would pay $50,000. Members who started before July 1, 2011 but weren't vested by January 1, 2014 follow a transition table in RSA 100-A:5, II(d), with minimum ages of 47 to 49 and first-15-year multipliers of 2.1% to 2.3%. Ask NHRS for their numbers.
Group II service retirees at 45 with 20 years (or 50 with 25) get at least $10,000 a year.
COLA
NHRS has no automatic COLA. The Legislature decides each year whether to grant a permanent increase or a one-time temporary supplemental allowance, and in several recent years it granted no COLA, only one-time payments for some retirees. Plan on the amount you retire with.
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Frequently asked questions
How is a Group I NHRS pension calculated?
Average final compensation x years of creditable service / 60, until you reach your Social Security full retirement age. From then on it is recalculated at 1/66. This applies to every Group I member, including those who started after July 1, 2011. With 30 years and a $60,000 AFC that is $30,000 a year, dropping to $27,273 at Social Security full retirement age.
When can Group I members retire?
If you started before July 1, 2011, at 60, or earlier from 50 (or with 20 years when age plus service is 70) with a reduction of 1/8% to 5/9% a month depending on service. If you started on or after July 1, 2011, at 65, or from 60 with 30 years at 1/4% a month before 65.
How is a Group II police or fire pension calculated?
Members who started before July 1, 2011 and were vested before January 1, 2014 get 2.5% of AFC per year of service (up to 40 years) at 45 with 20 years. Members who started on or after July 1, 2011 get 2% per year (up to 42.5 years) at 52.5 with 25 years, or from 50 with 25 years reduced 1/4% a month. There is a $10,000 minimum annual allowance.
What is average final compensation?
The average of your highest 3 years of earnable compensation if you were vested before January 1, 2012, or your highest 5 years if not.
Does NHRS have a COLA?
Not an automatic one. The Legislature votes each year on whether to grant a COLA or a one-time temporary supplemental allowance, and in several recent years it granted no COLA.