Month-by-month FERS retirement dates for 2026. See which dates maximize leave payout, pension timing, and annual leave carryover. Updated March 2026.
January 9, 2026 · 15 min readPay · Retirement · Benefits
Know exactly what your federal pay, pension and benefits add up to.
Free, source-backed calculators for FERS retirement, TSP growth, GS pay and FEHB premiums — built by people who actually read the regulations.
2026 at a glance
1.0%average GS pay raiseOPM · Jan 2026
$197,200EX-IV basic pay capOPM · 2026
46.3%top locality (SF–San José)OPM · 2026
$24,500TSP elective deferral limitTSP · 2026
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Thrift Savings Plan and General Services Administration. Figures current as of January 2026.
The Calculators
36 tools · IndexEvery tool below draws from official OPM, TSP and GSA data and runs free in your browser.
- GS Pay CalculatorFind your General Schedule pay by grade, step, and locality — and model future raises and promotions.Calculate my pay
- FERS Retirement CalculatorCalculate your FERS annuity from age, service years, and High-3 salary, with survivor options.Estimate my pension
- TSP Growth & WithdrawalProject your Thrift Savings Plan balance at retirement and model safe withdrawal rates.Model my TSP
- FEHB Premium CalculatorCompare Federal Employee Health Benefits premiums for active employees and retirees.Compare plans
- High-3 Salary CalculatorIdentify your highest 36 consecutive months of basic pay — the foundation of your FERS pension.Find my High-3
- Federal Leave OptimizerAlign annual leave with federal holidays and weekends, and burn use-or-lose hours before year-end.Optimize my leave
- Severance Pay CalculatorCalculate federal severance from years of service and age, including the 52-week cap and tax.Estimate my severance
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From the Newsroom
View all articlesFederal employees in San Jose-SF earn 46.34% above base in 2026, the highest of 58 localities. Full data report with 50+ sourced statistics on GS pay.
April 17, 2026 · 21 min readAre you behind on your TSP? See FERS-adjusted balance benchmarks by age and years of service, plus why federal employees need 40-50% less than private-sector peers.
March 6, 2026 · 16 min readResources & Tools
Planning guides, professional tools, and resources for every stage of a federal career.
Benefits Calculators
Seven interactive tools covering pay, leave, TSP, FEHB, High-3 salary, severance, and retirement.
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In-depth, source-backed analysis — locality pay, TSP benchmarks, and retirement timing.
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