When can I retire under FERS?
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By the FERS Made Easy editorial team · Last reviewed Oct 2026
Short answer: You can retire with an unreduced FERS pension at your Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) with 30 years of service, at 60 with 20 years, or at 62 with 5 years. You can also retire at your MRA with 10–29 years ("MRA+10"), but your pension is cut 5% for each year you are under 62 unless you postpone it. Unused sick leave does not count toward any of these requirements.
The four ways to retire on an immediate annuity
An "immediate" annuity is one that starts within 30 days of leaving federal service (OPM). FERS has four standard combinations of age and service:
| Age | Years of creditable service | Pension | FERS Supplement? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRA (55–57) | 30 | Full | Yes, until 62 |
| 60 | 20 | Full | Yes, until 62 |
| 62 | 5 | Full (1.1% rate if 20+ years) | No (you are already 62) |
| MRA | 10–29 | Reduced 5%/year under 62, unless postponed | No |
Your MRA by birth year
| Born | MRA |
|---|---|
| Before 1948 | 55 |
| 1948–1952 | 55 and 2–10 months (adds 2 months per year) |
| 1953–1964 | 56 |
| 1965–1969 | 56 and 2–10 months (adds 2 months per year) |
| 1970 and later | 57 |
Worked examples
These use our retirement date calculator and assume continuous full-time service starting in January of the start year.
Example 1: Born March 1967, started in 1995
- MRA: 56 and 6 months, reached about September 2023.
- 30 years of service in about January 2025, so MRA+30 (full pension) is available from about January 2025.
- 60+20: about March 2027. 62+5: about March 2029.
- MRA+10 was possible from September 2023, but with a reduction. Waiting about 16 months to reach 30 years removes the reduction entirely and adds the FERS Supplement.
Example 2: Born June 1975, started in 2005
- MRA: 57, reached about June 2032, with about 27.5 years of service.
- MRA+30: about January 2035. 60+20: about June 2035. 62+5: June 2037.
- Leaving at the MRA in June 2032 under MRA+10 means a 25% age reduction (5 years under 62) unless the start date is postponed.
Example 3: Age 56, 8 years of service
Not yet eligible for any immediate retirement. If this person keeps working, the earliest MRA+10 (reduced) is about age 58 and the earliest unreduced retirement is 62 (62+5). If they leave now, they qualify for a deferred annuity because they have at least 5 years.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Early retirement (VERA or discontinued service): age 50 with 20 years, or any age with 25 years. Available only when your agency offers it (VERA) or you are involuntarily separated (discontinued service). There is no age reduction. The FERS Supplement starts when you reach your MRA.
- Special provisions (LEO, firefighters, air traffic controllers and some others): 50 with 20 years of covered service, or any age with 25.
- Deferred retirement: needs at least 5 years of creditable civilian service. Benefits can start at 62, or at your MRA with 10+ years (reduced unless you have 30 years, or 20 years and are at least 60).
- Disability retirement has its own rules, including a minimum of 18 months of civilian service. [Confirm with OPM; we did not re-verify the disability page for this update.]
- Military service counts toward FERS only if you pay the military deposit before you retire (with limited exceptions). See military buyback.
- Part-time service counts in full for eligibility, but is prorated in the pension computation.
Common mistakes
- Counting sick leave toward eligibility. It only increases the computation. 29 years 8 months of service plus 6 months of sick leave is still not 30 years for MRA+30.
- Assuming everyone's MRA is 55. For most people retiring today it is 56 to 57.
- Taking MRA+10 without comparing postponement. Postponing the start date shrinks or removes the reduction and lets you keep FEHB once the annuity starts. See MRA+10.
- Resigning instead of retiring. Withdrawing your contributions (a refund) cancels that service for retirement purposes.
- Forgetting the 5-year FEHB rule (see FEHB in retirement).
What to do next
- Run the retirement date calculator with your own numbers. It takes about a minute.
- Ask your agency HR/benefits office for a retirement estimate and your official service computation date.
- Check your Social Security estimate at ssa.gov/myaccount.
- Want a second opinion? with a licensed financial professional who works with federal employees. It's optional and free.
Frequently asked questions
Does unused sick leave help me retire sooner?
No. Under FERS, unused sick leave is added to your service only when your annuity is computed. It cannot be used to meet the age and service requirements for retirement, and it does not count in your high-3 (OPM RI 83-8).
What is my Minimum Retirement Age (MRA)?
It depends on your birth year: 55 if born before 1948, rising 2 months a year to 56 for 1953–1964, then 2 months a year to 57 for anyone born in 1970 or later. See the full table above or the MRA page.
Can I retire at 55 with 30 years?
Only if your MRA is 55, which applies only if you were born before 1953. Most people retiring now have an MRA of 56 to 57, so "MRA + 30" usually means 56–57 with 30 years.
What happens if I leave before I am eligible?
If you have at least 5 years of creditable civilian service, you can leave your contributions in and take a deferred annuity later (at 62, or at your MRA with 10+ years, reduced unless you have 20–30 years). You lose FEHB and FEGLI coverage when you separate, and you cannot get them back with a deferred annuity.
Do special-provision employees (law enforcement, firefighters, air traffic controllers) follow different rules?
Yes. They can retire at 50 with 20 years of covered service, or at any age with 25 years, and are subject to mandatory retirement ages. Their pension also uses 1.7% for the first 20 years.
Is an "early out" (VERA) the same as MRA+10?
No. Early retirement under VERA or discontinued service requires age 50 with 20 years, or any age with 25 years, and the pension is not reduced for age. MRA+10 is available to anyone at their MRA with 10 years but carries a 5%-per-year reduction under 62.