U.S. · Military retired pay
Military retired pay (High-3) calculator.
Years of service times the multiplier times your pay base. Enter the base and service to see monthly retired pay under each system at once.
Your numbers
Placeholders. Your pay base is the average of your highest 36 months of basic pay (or final basic pay for the final-pay system).
Result
The retired pay formula
CRS's Defense Primer states the basic formula as years of service × multiplier × retired pay base. The pay base is either final basic pay at retirement or the average of the highest three years of basic pay, and the multiplier is 2.5% for Final Basic Pay and High-Three retirees. For members entering on or after January 1, 2018, the multiplier is 2.0%.
How this is calculated
- Years of service. Under 10 U.S.C. 1409(c), years of creditable service include 1/12 of a year for each full month beyond full years, which is how the tool counts months.
- Multiplier. 10 U.S.C. 1409(b)(1) multiplies 2½ by creditable years; for the modernized (blended) system the statute substitutes 2 for 2½.
- Vesting. CRS says a member must complete 20 years of qualifying service to vest in the defined benefit. Under 20 years, regular non-disability retired pay is not payable, so the tool flags it.
- Above 30 years. The statute sets a different percentage there, so the tool stops counting at 30 years.
Worked example
A member with a $7,000 monthly high-3 pay base retires at 20 years. High-3 gives 20 × 2.5% = 50%, or $3,500 a month. Blended Retirement System gives 20 × 2.0% = 40%, or $2,800 a month, $700 less. Add six full months and the High-3 percentage becomes 51.25%, which is $3,587.50, while the blended figure is 41%, which is $2,870.
High-3 versus final pay
Final pay uses the last basic pay rate; High-3 averages the top 36 months. For someone whose pay rose steadily, the average is lower than the final rate, so the same percentage pays less. The tool uses whatever pay base you enter, so enter the average for High-3 and the final rate for final pay.
What this does not cover
- REDUX, disability retirement formulas, early retirement reductions, Reserve points, and service above 30 years.
- Cost-of-living adjustments, survivor benefit plan premiums, taxes, and VA offsets.
- BRS extras: TSP matching, continuation pay and the lump-sum option (see the Blended Retirement System calculator).
Sources
Retrieved 2026-10-26. Each page was opened and read against the claim next to it.
- CRS In Focus IF10483, Defense Primer: Military Retirement (updated May 20, 2024): the retired pay formula, the 2.5% and 2.0% multipliers, 20-year vesting and the four systems.
- 10 U.S.C. 1409, retired pay multiplier: the 2½ multiplier, the substitution of 2 for the modernized system, and 1/12 of a year for each full month.
Common mix-ups
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Often assumedMy military pension is based on my last paycheck.
What the source saysCRS describes the pay base as either final basic pay or the average of the highest three years of basic pay, depending on the system. For most members it is the High-3 average, which can be lower than the last rate if pay was still rising. [1]
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate military retirement pay?
Multiply years of service by 2.5% (2.0% under the Blended Retirement System), then by your retired pay base. At 20 years under High-3 that is 50% of the average of your highest 36 months of basic pay.
What is the high-3?
It is the average of your highest three years of basic pay. CRS describes the pay base as either final pay at retirement or the highest-three-year average, depending on the system you fall under.
What is the multiplier under the Blended Retirement System?
CRS and 10 U.S.C. 1409 give 2.0% per year of service, down from 2.5%, for members who entered on or after January 1, 2018 or who opted in. A 20-year retiree gets 40% rather than 50%.
How many years do I need to get a military pension?
CRS says a member must complete 20 years of qualifying service to vest in the defined benefit. Disability retirement is a separate path.
Do partial years count?
Yes. The statute counts 1/12 of a year for each full month beyond full years of service, so 20 years 6 months is 20.5 years.
Is this the same as DFAS’s number?
No. DFAS applies your exact dates, pay records and any adjustments and pays the binding figure. Use this for planning.
Estimate only
This is an educational estimate, not benefits, tax or legal advice. OPM, DFAS, the Thrift Savings Plan or your plan administrator makes the binding calculation, and rules change. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.