Military Retirement Pay Calculator
Pick your plan, years of service and rank to estimate your monthly military pension, and compare BRS, High-36 and REDUX side by side. Reserve or Guard? Switch to points mode.
UpdatedMilitary retirement calculator
Estimated gross monthly retired pay · Blended Retirement System (BRS)$2,447.40$29,368.80 per year · 40% of a $6,118.50 High-36
| Plan | Multiplier | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Blended Retirement System (BRS) (selected) | 40% | $2,447.40 |
| High-36 (legacy) | 50% | $3,059.25 |
| CSB/REDUX | 40% | $2,447.40 |
Gross pension before taxes, SBP premiums, VA waivers and other deductions, and before future cost-of-living adjustments. BRS members also keep their TSP balance, which is not shown here. Formulas: DoD Military Compensation. Estimate only, not financial advice.
The formula
Regular military retired pay is retired pay base × multiplier. The retired pay base for anyone who entered service after September 7, 1980 is the High-36, the average of your highest 36 months of basic pay, which is usually your last three years. The multiplier depends on your plan:
- High-36: 2.5% per year of service. 20 years = 50%, 30 years = 75%.
- BRS: 2.0% per year of service. 20 years = 40%, 30 years = 60%.
- REDUX: 2.5% per year minus one point for each year under 30 until age 62. 20 years = 40%, then 50% from age 62.
Reserve and National Guard retirement
Choose Reserve or National Guard in the calculator to switch to the points-based formula in 10 U.S.C. chapter 1223:
- Years for the multiplier = total points ÷ 360 (section 12733). Points come from days of active duty and annual training, drills, and 15 membership points a year. Inactive-duty and membership points count for at most 130 a year since the year that includes October 30, 2007.
- Multiplier: 2.5% per year, or 2% for BRS members, capped at 75% of the retired pay base (section 12739).
- Eligibility: 20 qualifying years of at least 50 points (section 12732), with pay starting at age 60, or earlier by 3 months for each 90 days of qualifying active duty in a fiscal year after January 28, 2008, down to 50 (section 12731).
- Retired pay base: the High-36 average of the basic pay you would have received on active duty. Your years of service for pay keep counting until retired pay starts, so pick the grade and the years for pay you expect at that point.
Example: 4,000 points ÷ 360 = 11.11 years. Under High-36 that is 27.78% of the base; with a $6,118.50 High-36 (an E-7 priced at 20 years for pay on the 2026 table) it comes to about $1,699.72 a month from age 60. Under BRS it is 22.22%, about $1,359.53.
A worked example
An E-7 retiring at exactly 20 years spends the last three years in the "Over 16" and "Over 18" columns of the 2026 pay table: 12 months at $6,000.90 and 24 months at $6,177.30, an average of $6,118.50. Under High-36 that is 50%, or $3,059.25 a month ($36,711 a year). Under BRS it is 40%, or $2,447.40 a month. Staying to 24 years raises both the multiplier and the High-36.
What this estimate leaves out
The rank option prices all 36 months with the 2026 DFAS pay table, so the result is in today's dollars. Real pay raises before you retire, promotions inside the window, Survivor Benefit Plan premiums, taxes, the BRS lump-sum option and any VA disability offset are not included. If you know your actual High-36 from your LES history, switch to "Enter my own". Disability retirement uses different rules.
Source: DoD Military Compensation & Financial Readiness, military retirement, checked 2026-10-09. Basepass is independent and not affiliated with the Department of Defense or DFAS. This is an estimate, not financial advice; your service's retirement office gives the official figure.
Still serving? The military pay calculator shows today's paycheck, the 2026 pay chart lists every grade, the military retirement pay chart 2026 shows typical pensions by rank at 20 to 30 years, and if you have a service-connected condition the 2026 VA disability rates show what compensation may add after you retire.
Frequently asked questions
How is military retirement pay calculated?
Regular retired pay is your retired pay base times a multiplier. For most members the base is the High-36: the average of your highest 36 months of basic pay. The multiplier is 2.5% per year of service under the legacy High-36 plan and 2.0% per year under the Blended Retirement System.
How much is a 20-year military retirement?
At 20 years the multiplier is 50% of your High-36 under the legacy plan and 40% under BRS. Using 2026 rates, an E-7 retiring at exactly 20 years has an estimated High-36 of $6,118.50, so about $3,059.25 a month under High-36 or $2,447.40 under BRS, before taxes and deductions.
Which retirement plan am I under?
It depends on when you first entered uniformed service (your DIEMS). Everyone who entered on or after January 1, 2018 is under BRS. Members who entered earlier are under High-36 unless they opted into BRS during the 2018 opt-in window or took the Career Status Bonus under REDUX.
Is BRS retirement pay lower than High-36?
The pension is lower, 2.0% instead of 2.5% per year, but BRS adds an automatic 1% government TSP contribution, matching of up to 4% more, mid-career continuation pay and a lump-sum option. This calculator shows only the pension, not the TSP balance.
Do I get retirement pay with less than 20 years?
Regular (longevity) retirement starts at 20 years of service, which is where the DoD multiplier table begins. Reserve and Guard members also need 20 qualifying years but are paid from points, and disability retirement follows different rules. BRS members keep their TSP balance whenever they leave.
How is Reserve and National Guard retirement pay calculated?
Federal law converts your retirement points into years of service by dividing the total by 360, then multiplies your retired pay base by 2.5% per year (2% under BRS), up to 75%. For example, 4,000 points equals 11.11 years, or 27.78% of the base under High-36. You need 20 qualifying years of at least 50 points, and pay normally starts at age 60.
Can Reserve retirement pay start before age 60?
Yes. For Ready Reserve members, the age drops by 3 months for each aggregate of 90 days of qualifying active duty in a fiscal year after January 28, 2008, but not below age 50, under 10 U.S.C. 12731.
Does military retirement pay go up each year?
Yes. Retired pay under High-36 and BRS receives an annual cost-of-living adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index. REDUX gets a COLA that is normally one point lower, with a one-time catch-up at age 62. Results here are in today's dollars without future COLAs.
Does the calculator store or send my information?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server or saved.
Retiring? See what comes with it
Retirees keep more than a pension. Basepass matches your federal, VA, state and local benefits and retiree discounts to your profile, with the official source for each.
See my retiree benefits Basepass is independent and not affiliated with the VA, DoD, or any government agency.