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NYSTRS Pension Calculator
The New York State Teachers' Retirement System (NYSTRS) multiplies your years of service credit by a benefit percentage by your final average salary. For Tier 6 members, service under 20 years earns about 1.67% per year; reaching 20 years is worth 35%; and each year beyond 20 adds 2%. Enter your numbers below for an estimate.
Enter your numbers. The percentage is pre-filled with a 2% per-year estimate that fits many mid-career NYSTRS members; adjust it for your tier and years of service.
NYSTRS uses a tiered formula. Tier 6 final average salary is the average of your highest 5 consecutive years; Tiers 4 and 5 use 3 years. The exact rate per year depends on your tier and total service. Confirm yours with NYSTRS.
Your estimated NYSTRS pension
Updates as you type.
Educational estimate only, not financial advice. Uses a simplified NYSTRS formula and your inputs; your real benefit varies by tier, service, and final average salary rules.
How the NYSTRS formula works
NYSTRS multiplies three things: your years of service credit, a benefit percentage that depends on your tier and total service, and your final average salary. For Tier 6 members, most teachers hired on or after April 1, 2012, service under 20 years is credited at 1.67% per year, reaching 20 years is worth 35%, and every year beyond 20 adds 2%. Final average salary for Tier 6 is the average of your highest 5 consecutive years of earnings. Tiers 4 and 5 use a 3-year final average salary and slightly different rates.
This calculator gives you the pension piece. Most New York educators also have a 403(b) or 457(b) and Social Security, and after the 2025 repeal of WEP and GPO most teachers now keep their full Social Security too. Use the full Teacher Retirement Calculator to see all three sources together, or read what the WEP and GPO repeal means for teachers.
Questions
How is a NYSTRS pension calculated?
NYSTRS multiplies your years of service credit by a benefit percentage by your final average salary. For Tier 6, service under 20 years earns 1.67% per year, 20 years is worth 35%, and each year beyond 20 adds 2%. For example, 30 years for a Tier 6 member is 35% plus 20%, or 55% of final average salary.
Will my pension reduce my Social Security?
No longer for most teachers. The Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset were repealed by the Social Security Fairness Act in January 2025, so most educators now receive their full Social Security benefit alongside their NYSTRS pension.
Should I get a personal NYSTRS analysis?
A free review with a licensed educator-retirement specialist can confirm your tier, model different retirement ages, and coordinate your pension with your 403(b)/457(b) and any old accounts from prior jobs. Talk to a specialist.