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Military Retirement Calculator
Estimate gross military retired pay under Final Pay, High-3, BRS, REDUX, and Reserve or National Guard rules.
Retirement assumptions
How military retirement pay is calculated
All supported paths use retired-pay base × multiplier = estimated gross retired pay. Final Pay uses final basic pay and 2.5% per creditable year. High-3 uses the highest 36-month basic-pay average and 2.5% per year. BRS uses the High-36 base and a 2% defined-benefit multiplier; its separate TSP component is excluded.
CSB/REDUX is a closed legacy election. Before age 62 its multiplier is reduced by one percentage point for each year below 30; its COLA is generally CPI minus one percentage point when CPI exceeds 1%, with an age-62 recomputation. This page estimates initial gross pay, not the later COLA history.
Reserve and National Guard retirement
Non-regular retirement separates eligibility from pension math. Generally, 20 qualifying years establish eligibility; total retirement points ÷ 360 determines active-equivalent service for the multiplier. The pay base is based on Final Pay or High-36 rules. This estimator uses age 60 because reduced-age eligibility requires qualifying-duty records by statutory period.
Important limitations
Results are gross planning estimates before federal or state tax, SBP premiums, allotments, VA waiver, CRDP, or CRSC. Military retirement and VA disability are separate components and must not be double-counted. DFAS and the applicable service determine official eligibility and pay.
Future nominal estimates apply only the editable basic-pay growth assumption before retirement. Future raises and COLAs are unknown. The COLA input is preserved as a planning assumption but is not applied to the initial pension. Use the Financial Profile to save current or projected retirement, then continue to the VA Affordability Calculator. Projected retirement is excluded from current resources.
Authoritative sources
Rules last verified 2026-08-25. Existing 2026 Epic 12 basic-pay data is reused; no historical pay dataset was added.
Frequently asked questions
How much military retirement do you get after 20 years?
Legacy Final Pay and High-3 systems generally use a 50% multiplier at 20 creditable years; the BRS defined benefit uses 40%. The dollar amount depends on the applicable retired-pay base.
How is High-3 retirement calculated?
The retired-pay base is the average of the highest 36 months of basic pay, multiplied by the applicable service multiplier.
How does BRS retirement work?
The BRS pension defined benefit uses 2% per creditable year. TSP is a separate defined-contribution component and is not included here.
How do Reserve retirement points work?
For the retired-pay multiplier, DoD divides accumulated qualifying retirement points by 360. Twenty qualifying years establish eligibility but do not equal 20 active-equivalent years.
When does Reserve retired pay begin?
The baseline is age 60. Certain qualifying active service after January 28, 2008 may reduce that age, subject to statutory grouping rules and a floor of age 50.
Is military retired pay taxable?
Regular military retired pay is generally federally taxable, subject to individual and disability-related exceptions. State treatment varies.
Can military retirement and VA disability both be received?
VA waiver, CRDP, and CRSC rules can materially change actual cash received. This calculator shows gross retired pay before those interactions.