GS-13 retirement pay after 20 years is 20% of your high-3 under FERS, rising to 22% only if you stay until age 62.
GS-13 retirement pay after 20 years under FERS is 20% of the high-3 average salary, or 22% if you separate at age 62 or later. Using 2026 Rest of U.S. pay as the high-3, that is about $21,287 to $27,674 a year (steps 1 to 10), or $23,416 to $30,441 at 62, before survivor, tax, and insurance deductions.
By Craig Wear, CFP® | Last reviewed: October 15, 2026
Key Takeaways
- The 2026 GS-13 Rest of U.S. salary runs from $106,437 at step 1 to $138,370 at step 10, including a 17.06% locality payment (OPM 2026 RUS table).
- FERS pays 1.0% of the high-3 per year of service, or 1.1% when you separate at 62 or later with at least 20 years (OPM; 5 U.S.C. 8415(i)).
- Locality pay counts as basic pay for retirement under 5 U.S.C. 5304(c)(2)(A), so a GS-13 step 10 high-3 in Rest of U.S. is about 17% higher than base pay alone.
- With 20 years, an immediate unreduced annuity starts at age 60; at your MRA the MRA+10 rule cuts it 5% for each year under 62 (OPM eligibility).
- The FERS supplement at 20 years equals 20/40 of OPM’s estimate of your age-62 Social Security benefit, and MRA+10 and deferred retirees do not receive it (CSRS and FERS Handbook, ch. 51).
- A full survivor benefit reduces the annuity 10%, a partial one 5% (OPM FERS computation rules).
- The President’s August 26, 2026 pay plan sets 2027 base and locality adjustments at zero, which would hold a 2027 year of the high-3 at 2026 rates (House Document 119-189).
GS-13 retirement pay after 20 years: key 2026 figures
Salary from the OPM 2026 Rest of U.S. General Schedule table (1% increase effective January 2026). The pension figure treats the 2026 rate as a hypothetical high-3 and is gross, before survivor, tax, and insurance deductions.
How much is GS-13 retirement pay after 20 years?
GS-13 retirement pay after 20 years of FERS service is the high-3 times 20 times 1.0%, which is 20% of the high-3, or 22% at the 1.1% rate for those who separate at 62 or later. The general formula is explained in our FERS retirement overview; this page applies it to real 2026 GS pay.
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The table uses the OPM 2026 Rest of U.S. salary table and the 2026 base General Schedule for comparison. Each salary is treated as a hypothetical high-3, which is an upper-bound shortcut explained in the next section.
| GS-13 step (Rest of U.S.) | 2026 salary used as high-3 | 20 years at 1.0% | 20 years at 1.1% (age 62+) | 25 years at 1.0% | 30 years at 1.0% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $106,437 | $21,287 | $23,416 | $26,609 | $31,931 |
| Step 5 | $120,629 | $24,126 | $26,538 | $30,157 | $36,189 |
| Step 10 | $138,370 | $27,674 | $30,441 | $34,592 | $41,511 |
| Step 10, base pay only (no locality) | $118,204 | $23,641 | $26,005 | $29,551 | $35,461 |
Rest of U.S. is the lowest locality area, so most GS-13s in a named metro area have a higher high-3 and a larger annuity. Washington-Baltimore, for example, carries a 33.94% locality payment in 2026, which puts GS-13 step 1 at $121,785 on OPM’s DCB table. The same 20% or 22% applies to whatever high-3 your locality produces.
What does a 20-year pension pay at GS-11 through GS-15?
At step 10 and 2026 Rest of U.S. rates, a 20-year FERS pension ranges from about $19,417 a year at GS-11 to $38,466 at GS-15 under the 1.0% multiplier. Each grade up adds roughly $3,900 to $5,800 a year to a 20-year annuity at step 10. Whether that annuity can later be forfeited, reduced, or paused is covered in whether a federal employee can lose their pension.
| Grade (step 10) | 2026 base pay | 20-year pension, base only | 2026 Rest of U.S. pay | 20-year pension at 1.0% | 20-year pension at 1.1% | Monthly at 1.0% (Rest of U.S.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-11 | $82,938 | $16,588 | $97,087 | $19,417 | $21,359 | $1,618 |
| GS-12 | $99,404 | $19,881 | $116,362 | $23,272 | $25,600 | $1,939 |
| GS-13 | $118,204 | $23,641 | $138,370 | $27,674 | $30,441 | $2,306 |
| GS-14 | $139,684 | $27,937 | $163,514 | $32,703 | $35,973 | $2,725 |
| GS-15 | $164,301 | $32,860 | $192,331 | $38,466 | $42,313 | $3,206 |
Step 10 is shown because a 20-year employee who has spent many years at one grade often sits at or near the top step; it takes 18 years of waiting periods to move from step 1 to step 10 within a grade. Steps below 10 scale proportionally: each figure is simply the salary times 0.20, or 0.22 at the 1.1% rate.
Does locality pay count toward the high-3, and why is the real high-3 lower?
Yes. Under 5 U.S.C. 5304(c)(2)(A), a locality-based comparability payment “shall be considered to be part of basic pay for purposes of retirement under chapter 83 or 84.” OPM’s computation page adds that the high-3 excludes overtime and bonuses, so for a typical GS employee the high-3 is the scheduled rate plus locality.
The tables above treat the 2026 rate as the high-3, but the actual high-3 is the highest average over any 36 consecutive months, which usually reaches back two years. A GS-13 step 10 in Rest of U.S. earned $134,435 in 2024, $137,000 in 2025, and $138,370 in 2026, so retiring at the end of 2026 gives a high-3 of about $136,602, not $138,370. That trims the 20-year annuity from $27,674 to $27,320.
The gap is small here because the 2025 and 2026 raises were 1.7% and 1.0%. The alternative pay plan transmitted August 26, 2026 would hold 2027 base and locality pay at 2026 rates, which would leave a 2027 year of service adding time but not salary growth to the high-3. Other proposed changes and their status are tracked in federal retirement changes for 2026.
When can a GS-13 with 20 years actually start the pension?
Twenty years of service does not by itself start an immediate pension; the start date depends on your age at separation. The paths below use the same hypothetical $136,602 high-3 so the effect of age alone is visible.
| Age at separation (20 years of service) | Type of annuity | Annual annuity (hypothetical) | FERS supplement? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before MRA (for example, 50 to 56) | Deferred: unreduced at 60, or reduced 5% a year under 62 if started at MRA | $27,320 from age 60 | No |
| MRA 57 (born 1970 or later), annuity starts at once | MRA+10, reduced 25% (5 years under 62) | $20,490 | No |
| MRA 57, annuity postponed to start at 60 | MRA+10 postponed, no age reduction | $27,320 from age 60 | No |
| 60 | Immediate, unreduced (60 and 20) | $27,320 | Yes, until 62 |
| 62 or later | Immediate, 1.1% multiplier | $30,052 | No (Social Security age) |
The MRA+10 reduction is 5/12 of 1% per month under 62, which is 5% a year, and OPM notes it is removed for someone with 20 years who waits until 60 for the annuity to begin. The deferred path, including what happens to health and life insurance, is covered in FERS deferred retirement. Federal law enforcement officers and firefighters follow a separate 1.7% formula and earlier retirement ages, described in federal law enforcement retirement.
One timing detail is often missed: under 5 U.S.C. 8415, unused sick leave is added to service when the annuity is computed but is “not counted in determining average pay or annuity eligibility.” An employee with 19 years and 10 months plus a large sick leave balance has not reached the 20 years needed for the 60 and 20 path or the 1.1% multiplier.
A second correction: some calculators describe early federal retirement as reduced 2% for each year under age 55. That rule belongs to CSRS. Under FERS, the age reduction is 5% for each year under 62, and it applies only to MRA+10 and certain deferred annuities.
How much does the FERS supplement add at 20 years?
At 20 years, the FERS supplement equals half of OPM’s estimate of the Social Security benefit you earned in FERS-covered service, because the fraction is your FERS civilian service divided by 40. Chapter 51 of the CSRS and FERS Handbook computes it from a reduced age-62 primary insurance amount, then multiplies by service (rounded to whole years, capped at 40) over 40.
Eligibility is narrower than many assume. The supplement goes to retirees who leave at their MRA with 30 years or at 60 with 20 years, plus special provision retirees and certain involuntary or early-out retirees at their MRA. It is not paid on MRA+10 retirements, deferred annuities, disability retirements, or retirements at 62 or later. It is also earnings-tested, reduced $1 for every $2 of earnings above the annual Social Security exempt amount.
For a 60 and 20 retiree it lasts about two years, until the end of the month you turn 62. With a hypothetical OPM estimate of $2,400 a month at 62, the supplement would be $1,200 a month, or $14,400 a year. How the supplement relates to Social Security itself is explained in do federal employees get Social Security.
What comes out of the gross annuity?
The figures above are gross; the check you receive is lower after a survivor election, federal income tax, and FEHB and FEGLI premiums. The survivor election is usually the largest planned reduction.
| Item (hypothetical $27,320 annuity) | Rule | Annual effect |
|---|---|---|
| Full survivor benefit | Survivor receives 50% of the unreduced annuity; retiree’s annuity reduced 10% | Annuity becomes $24,588 |
| Partial survivor benefit | Survivor receives 25%; annuity reduced 5% | Annuity becomes $25,954 |
| Cost-of-living adjustment | Most regular FERS retirees receive COLAs only from age 62; the 2026 FERS COLA was 2.0% (OPM) | No increase before 62 on the 60 and 20 path |
| Federal income tax | Annuity is taxable except a small recovery of your own after-tax contributions | Depends on bracket |
The survivor reductions come from OPM FERS computation rules. The tax treatment of the small after-tax portion is covered in how a pension is taxed. For contrast, a CSRS employee with the same high-3 and 20 years would earn 1.5%, 1.75%, then 2% per year, or 36.25% of the high-3 (about $49,518), but CSRS employees generally did not earn Social Security on that federal service.
Worked example: a hypothetical GS-13 retiring at 60 in 2026
A hypothetical GS-13 step 10 in Rest of U.S., married and filing jointly, retires at 60 at the end of 2026 with exactly 20 years and elects the full survivor benefit. The numbers below use 2026 OPM pay tables and 2026 IRS tax figures.
- High-3: ($134,435 + $137,000 + $138,370) / 3 = $136,602.
- Gross annuity: $136,602 x 20 x 1.0% = $27,320 a year, about $2,277 a month.
- After the 10% full survivor reduction: $24,588 a year.
- FERS supplement (hypothetical $2,400 age-62 estimate x 20/40): $14,400 a year until 62.
- Gross income before Social Security: $27,320 + $14,400 = $41,720; taxable income after the $32,200 standard deduction is about $9,520, ignoring the small tax-free return of contributions and other income.
Because the 2026 joint 22% bracket starts above $100,800 of taxable income, this household would have roughly $91,280 of taxable income left in the 10% and 12% brackets in the years before Social Security begins. Retirees in that position often consider whether to fill some of that room with Roth conversions of traditional TSP money, a decision covered in TSP Roth conversions for federal employees and Roth conversions before a pension starts. Bracket thresholds are listed in the 2026 federal income tax brackets.
A financial professional can model whether converting in those years reduces lifetime taxes once Social Security and required minimum distributions (age 73, or 75 for those born in 1960 or later) are layered on. More federal planning resources are collected on our federal employees page.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a GS-13 pension after 20 years?
A GS-13 pension after 20 years under FERS equals 20% of the high-3 average salary, or 22% at age 62 or later. Using 2026 Rest of U.S. rates as a hypothetical high-3, that is about $21,287 a year at step 1, $24,126 at step 5, and $27,674 at step 10, before survivor and other deductions.
How much is a GS-12 or GS-14 pension after 20 years?
At step 10 with 2026 Rest of U.S. pay as a hypothetical high-3, a 20-year FERS pension is about $23,272 a year for a GS-12 and $32,703 for a GS-14 at the 1.0% multiplier, rising to $25,600 and $35,973 at 1.1% for those who separate at 62 or later.
Can you retire after 20 years of federal service?
Under FERS, 20 years of service supports an immediate unreduced annuity at age 60, or an immediate annuity at your minimum retirement age (MRA) under the MRA+10 rule with a 5% reduction for each year under 62. Leaving with 20 years before your MRA produces a deferred annuity rather than an immediate one.
Does locality pay count toward the FERS high-3?
Yes. Federal law, 5 U.S.C. 5304(c)(2)(A), treats locality-based comparability payments as part of basic pay for retirement under chapters 83 and 84. Overtime, bonuses, and awards are excluded, so the high-3 for most GS employees is their scheduled rate plus locality.
What is the FERS 1.1% rule?
The FERS multiplier rises from 1.0% to 1.1% of the high-3 per year of service when an employee separates at age 62 or later with at least 20 years of service, under 5 U.S.C. 8415(i). The age and service must both be met at separation; unused sick leave does not count toward annuity eligibility.
Do you get the FERS supplement with 20 years?
Only on certain paths. A FERS retiree who leaves at age 60 with 20 years qualifies for the annuity supplement until 62. Those retiring under MRA+10 or with a deferred annuity do not. At 20 years, the supplement equals 20/40 of OPM’s estimated age-62 Social Security benefit, so half of that estimate.
How much does a survivor annuity reduce a 20-year FERS pension?
Electing the full survivor benefit (50% of the unreduced annuity) reduces the retiree’s annuity by 10%, and the partial benefit (25%) reduces it by 5%. On a hypothetical $27,320 annuity, that means about $24,588 or $25,954 a year to the retiree.
Methodology: Salaries come from OPM’s 2024, 2025, and 2026 General Schedule and Rest of U.S. salary tables, and the Washington-Baltimore rate from OPM’s 2026 DCB table. Pension figures apply the FERS formula from OPM and 5 U.S.C. 8415 in a script, rounded to the nearest dollar, with the 2026 rate treated as a hypothetical high-3 except in the worked example, which averages actual 2024 to 2026 rates. Locality treatment is from 5 U.S.C. 5304(c)(2)(A); supplement rules from OPM’s CSRS and FERS Handbook, chapter 51; the 2027 pay proposal from House Document 119-189; tax figures from the IRS 2026 inflation adjustments. The age-62 Social Security estimate is hypothetical. Because this is a YMYL topic, anonymous forum anecdotes and unsourced calculator outputs were excluded.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not individualized investment, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional about your specific situation.
