Calculator
FERS Supplement Calculator 2026
Estimate your Special Retirement Supplement — the monthly income bridge from your FERS retirement date to age 62 — using the official OPM formula and the 2026 earnings test.
Reviewed by Jonathan D., 20-year federal employee · Formulas verified against OPM.gov ·
Enter your information
From your SSA.gov Social Security statement.
Enter the annual amount (multiply monthly × 12 if your statement shows monthly).
Whole years only; capped at 40 in the formula.
Used to calculate years until 62 and your total bridge value.
Used to determine your Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) per OPM rules.
Born 1970 or later → MRA 57. Earlier → 55–56.
Leave blank if you will not work after retiring. Only applies once you reach your MRA.
2026 earnings limit: $24,480/year. The $1-for-$2 reduction only applies after you reach your MRA.
Enter your details above to see your SRS estimate
Need an example? ($20,000 SS benefit · 30 years FERS · age 57 · born 1970).
Editorial note — not financial advice
This tool is independent journalism and education for federal employees. It is not financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. Pay, retirement, TSP, and benefits decisions depend on your individual circumstances and on the rules OPM, the IRS, and your agency apply. Verify anything you read here with your HR Benefits Officer, a fee-only financial planner, or a qualified tax professional before acting. See our editorial standards and terms for details.
What is the FERS Special Retirement Supplement?
The FERS Special Retirement Supplement (SRS) is an additional monthly payment OPM provides to eligible FERS retirees who leave federal service before age 62. Because Social Security benefits cannot begin before 62, the SRS bridges the income gap from your retirement date until that milestone.
It approximates the Social Security benefit you earned through your federal service alone. It is not a Social Security benefit — it is paid entirely by OPM from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund — but it is calculated using your Social Security earnings record as an input.
The official SRS formula
Annual SRS = SS Benefit at 62 × (FERS Years ÷ 40)
Source: OPM FERS Handbook, Chapter 51. A full 40-year career produces 100% of the base; 30 years produces 75%.
How much is the FERS supplement?
There is no standard amount. The supplement equals your estimated age-62 Social Security benefit scaled by your FERS service, so two retirees with the same service can receive very different checks. For a $20,000 Social Security estimate, 20 years of service pays about $833 a month, 30 years pays $1,250, and a full 40-year career pays $1,667. Enter your own SSA estimate above for the exact figure.
| FERS service | Ratio | Annual SRS | Monthly SRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 years | 20 ÷ 40 = 50% | $10,000 | $833 |
| 30 years | 30 ÷ 40 = 75% | $15,000 | $1,250 |
| 40 years | 40 ÷ 40 = 100% | $20,000 | $1,667 |
FedTools computation from the OPM formula (FERS Handbook, Chapter 51); $20,000 is the illustrative benefit, not an average. Before any earnings-test reduction.
How to calculate your FERS supplement
- Get your Social Security estimate. Log in to ssa.gov and find your estimated benefit at age 62. Enter the annual amount (monthly × 12) in the first field.
- Enter years of FERS service. Enter your total years of FERS-creditable service as a whole number. This includes military service you have made a deposit for. The formula caps the ratio at 40 years.
- Enter your current age. Enter your current age. The calculator uses this to show how many years you will receive the supplement and the total bridge value.
- Add post-retirement earnings (optional). If you plan to work after retiring, enter your estimated annual earned income. The calculator will apply the 2026 earnings test and show the reduction.
- Review your results. See your monthly and annual SRS estimate, earnings test reduction, FERS service ratio, and total bridge value until age 62.
Worked example: $20,000 × 30 years
A federal employee retires at 57 with 30 years of FERS service and a $20,000/year estimated Social Security benefit at 62.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| SS benefit at 62 (annual) | From SSA.gov statement | $20,000 |
| FERS service ratio | 30 years ÷ 40 | 0.75 |
| Annual SRS | $20,000 × 0.75 | $15,000 |
| Monthly SRS | $15,000 ÷ 12 | $1,250 |
| Years of supplement | 62 − 57 | 5 years |
FedTools 2026 analysis: a 30/40 FERS retiree with a $20,000 SS estimate receives $1,250/month — worth $75,000 over the five years before age 62.
The 2026 earnings test: $24,480 limit
If you work for wages after retiring under FERS, the Social Security earnings test applies. For 2026 you can earn up to $24,480/year without any reduction. Above that, your SRS is reduced by $1 for every $2 earned over the limit.
| Earnings | Over limit | Reduction | Net SRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 – $24,480 | $0 | $0 | $15,000 |
| $30,000 | $5,520 | −$2,760 | $12,240 |
| $45,000 | $20,520 | −$10,260 | $4,740 |
| $54,480+ | $30,000+ | −$15,000 | $0 (phased out) |
Example uses $15,000 annual SRS ($20,000 SS benefit × 30/40 years). The break-even earnings level where SRS = $0 depends on your individual SRS amount.
What counts as "earned income"?
Counts toward the limit
Wages from a job (W-2)
Net self-employment income
Consulting / contract work
Does NOT count
TSP / IRA withdrawals
Rental income
Dividends and capital gains
Your FERS annuity
Social Security benefits
Who qualifies for the FERS supplement?
Eligible
MRA + 30 — full immediate retirement
Age 60 + 20 years — standard immediate retirement
LEO / FF / ATC — special-provision retirement
VERA — voluntary early retirement (agency-authorized)
Not eligible
MRA + 10 — reduced immediate annuity
Deferred retirement — not yet age-eligible
Disability retirement — different rules apply
CSRS employees — a separate system
Frequently asked questions
The FERS Special Retirement Supplement (SRS) — also called the FERS supplement or SRS — is a monthly payment OPM pays to eligible FERS retirees from the date of retirement until they reach age 62. It is designed to bridge the income gap between FERS retirement and the earliest Social Security eligibility age. The supplement approximates the Social Security benefit you earned through your federal service.
Three steps: (1) take your estimated Social Security benefit at age 62 from ssa.gov; (2) divide your years of FERS service by 40; (3) multiply the two. Annual SRS = SS benefit at 62 × (FERS years ÷ 40). Example: $20,000 × (30 ÷ 40) = $15,000 a year, or $1,250 a month.
You are eligible for the SRS if you retire with an immediate annuity before age 62 under one of three conditions: (1) MRA + 30 years of service (full immediate retirement), (2) age 60 + 20 years of service, or (3) special category employees (Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, Air Traffic Controllers) who retire under their special provisions. MRA+10 retirees do NOT qualify for the SRS.
For 2026, the Social Security earnings test limit is $24,480. If you earn more than $24,480 in wages or self-employment income after your FERS retirement (but before age 62), your SRS is reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn over the limit. Your supplement is fully phased out once your earnings exceed the limit by twice your annual supplement amount.
No. Only earned income — wages from a job or net self-employment income — counts toward the earnings test. Pension income, IRA/TSP withdrawals, rental income, dividends, and capital gains do not affect your SRS.
The SRS stops the month you turn 62, regardless of whether you have started Social Security. At 62, you become eligible for Social Security benefits, so the bridge is no longer needed. There is no way to extend the SRS beyond age 62.
No. Unlike your main FERS annuity (which receives partial COLA adjustments), the FERS supplement does not receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment. The amount is fixed at retirement and stays flat until it stops at age 62.
Yes, in two ways: (1) Exceeding the earnings test limit reduces or eliminates it, and (2) Reemployment in a federal position subject to FERS deductions suspends the supplement for the period of reemployment.
Log into your free My Social Security account at ssa.gov. The statement shows estimated benefits at ages 62, 67 (full retirement age), and 70. Use the age-62 estimate for this calculator. If you have not yet created an account, you can do so at ssa.gov/myaccount.
No. If you retire under MRA+10 (Minimum Retirement Age with 10 to 29 years of service, taking an immediate reduced annuity), you do not qualify for the SRS. The supplement is only available to those retiring with an unreduced immediate annuity or under a special provision.
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