Calculators › Military retirement pay (BRS and High-3)
Military retirement pay
Twenty years or more of service earns a pension for life: 2% of your High-3 base pay per year under the Blended Retirement System, or 2.5% under the legacy High-3 system. Add any VA disability, which is tax-free.
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Model a military career and second careerHow it's figured
Retired pay = years of service × multiplier × High-3, where High-3 is your average monthly base pay over your highest 36 months. The Blended Retirement System (for those who joined after 2017 or opted in) uses 2% a year and adds Thrift Savings Plan matching; the legacy High-3 system uses 2.5%. Reserve and Guard retirement uses points and usually starts at 60, which this simple version doesn't cover.
Then a second career
Most people who retire from the military go on to work. FIRE Mission's Starting Out page models years in uniform, the GI Bill for a second career's schooling, the pension and a VA rating together, and its FIRE page reads a DFAS retiree statement.
Questions
How is military retirement pay calculated?
Years of service times 2% (Blended Retirement System) or 2.5% (legacy High-3) times your High-3 average monthly base pay.
Can you get military retirement before 20 years?
Active-duty retired pay generally starts at 20 years. Under the Blended Retirement System, your Thrift Savings Plan and its match go with you whenever you leave.
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