State pension systems: all 50 states
Formula, vesting requirements, lump sum availability, and average benefit for every state public employee retirement system. Select your state to run the numbers.
50
States covered
19
Offer lump sum option
$2,261
Typical plan average, monthly
Alabama
RSA-ERS
Employees Retirement System of Alabama
Avg benefit: $2,042/mo
Vests in 10 years
Alaska
PERS
Alaska Public Employees Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,421/mo
Vests in 5 years
Arizona
ASRS
Arizona State Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,776/mo
Vests in 5 years
Arkansas
APERS
Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,460/mo
Vests in 5 years
California
CalPERS
California Public Employees' Retirement System
Avg benefit: $3,772/mo
Vests in 5 years
Colorado
PERA
Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association
Avg benefit: $3,274/mo
Vests in 5 years
Connecticut
CT SERS
State Employees Retirement System of Connecticut
Avg benefit: $3,952/mo
Vests in 10 years
Delaware
SEPP
Delaware State Employees Pension Plan
Avg benefit: $2,089/mo
Vests in 10 years
Florida
FRS
Florida Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,246/mo
Vests in 8 years
Georgia
ERS Georgia
Employees' Retirement System of Georgia
Avg benefit: $2,201/mo
Vests in 10 years
Hawaii
HIERS
Employees' Retirement System of Hawaii
Avg benefit: $2,804/mo
Vests in 10 years
Idaho
PERSI
Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho
Avg benefit: $1,980/mo
Vests in 5 years
Illinois
SERS
State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois
Avg benefit: $3,986/mo
Vests in 10 years
Indiana
INPRS
Indiana Public Retirement System
Avg benefit: $745/mo
Vests in 10 years
Iowa
IPERS
Iowa Public Employees Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,662/mo
Vests in 7 years
Kansas
KPERS
Kansas Public Employees Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,425/mo
Vests in 5 years
Kentucky
KRS
Kentucky Retirement Systems
Avg benefit: $1,760/mo
Vests in 5 years
Louisiana
LASERS
Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,546/mo
Vests in 5 years
Maine
MainePERS
Maine Public Employees Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,191/mo
Vests in 5 years
Maryland
MSRPS
Maryland State Retirement and Pension System
Avg benefit: $2,459/mo
Vests in 10 years
Massachusetts
MSERS
Massachusetts State Employees' Retirement System
Avg benefit: $3,590/mo
Vests in 10 years
Michigan
MSERS
Michigan State Employees' Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,156/mo
Vests in 10 years
Minnesota
MSRS
Minnesota State Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,803/mo
Vests in 3 years
Mississippi
PERS MS
Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi
Avg benefit: $2,355/mo
Vests in 8 years
Missouri
MOSERS
Missouri State Employees' Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,550/mo
Vests in 5 years
Montana
MPERA
Montana Public Employee Retirement Administration
Avg benefit: $1,831/mo
Vests in 5 years
Nebraska
NPERS
Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems
Avg benefit: $1,722/mo
Vests in 3 years
Nevada
NVPERS
Nevada Public Employees Retirement System
Avg benefit: $3,920/mo
Vests in 5 years
New Hampshire
NHRS
New Hampshire Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,885/mo
Vests in 10 years
New Jersey
PERS
New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,016/mo
Vests in 10 years
New Mexico
PERA NM
New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association
Avg benefit: $2,764/mo
Vests in 5 years
New York
NYSLRS
New York State and Local Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,428/mo
Vests in 5 years
North Carolina
TSERS
Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System of North Carolina
Avg benefit: $1,802/mo
Vests in 5 years
North Dakota
NDPERS
North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,491/mo
Vests in 3 years
Ohio
OPERS
Ohio Public Employees Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,860/mo
Vests in 5 years
Oklahoma
OPERS OK
Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,712/mo
Vests in 8 years
Oregon
PERS
Oregon Public Employees Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,952/mo
Vests in 5 years
Pennsylvania
SERS
Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,772/mo
Vests in 10 years
Rhode Island
ERSRI
Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island
Avg benefit: $2,774/mo
Vests in 5 years
South Carolina
SCRS
South Carolina Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,856/mo
Vests in 8 years
South Dakota
SDRS
South Dakota Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,831/mo
Vests in 3 years
Tennessee
TCRS
Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,525/mo
Vests in 5 years
Texas
ERS
Employees Retirement System of Texas
Avg benefit: $1,902/mo
Vests in 5 years
Utah
URS
Utah Retirement Systems
Avg benefit: $2,301/mo
Vests in 4 years
Vermont
VSERS
Vermont State Employees' Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,076/mo
Vests in 5 years
Virginia
VRS
Virginia Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,117/mo
Vests in 5 years
Washington
DRS
Washington State Department of Retirement Systems
Avg benefit: $2,288/mo
Vests in 5 years
West Virginia
CPRB
West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board
Avg benefit: $1,471/mo
Vests in 10 years
Wisconsin
WRS
Wisconsin Retirement System
Avg benefit: $2,583/mo
Vests in 5 years
Wyoming
WRS WY
Wyoming Retirement System
Avg benefit: $1,923/mo
Vests in 4 years
How state pension systems differ
Every state public pension system uses a defined benefit formula, but the multiplier, final average salary period, vesting requirements, and eligibility rules vary significantly. CalPERS age factors run from about 1.0% to 3.0% depending on plan, age and hire date. NYSLRS Tier 6 pays 1.66% per year under 20 years of service, 1.75% per year at 20, and 2.0% for each year after 20. Texas ERS uses 2.3% for members hired before September 2022, and a cash balance plan for later hires. These differences compound over a career.
Lump sum availability is the exception, not the rule. Most state systems pay only as a monthly annuity. Texas ERS and a handful of others allow a partial lump sum option (PLSO) where you can take 12, 24, or 36 months of benefit as a lump sum in exchange for a permanently reduced annuity. The majority of state systems require monthly payouts.
Vesting periods range from 5 years (California, New York, Ohio, Texas) to 10 years (Illinois Tier 2, Georgia ERS, New Hampshire). Florida's pension plan vests in 8 years for members enrolled since July 2011. Members who leave before vesting typically receive only their own contributions back, not any employer contributions or investment growth credited to the employer's share.
Social Security coverage also varies. Federal, state, and local government employees hired before Social Security integration dates may not pay Social Security taxes and therefore don't earn SS credits for that work. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) previously reduced Social Security benefits for workers with government pensions, but both were repealed by the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, signed January 5, 2025.