Short answer: at a normal retirement, one more year adds 2% of your average salary for life: $1,800 a year on $90,000, until you reach the 75% cap at 37.5 years. If you'd retire early, the same year also shrinks the cut, and the 30th year can be worth far more than 2%. Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 24, Your Normal Retirement Benefit; C.G.S. § 10-183g(a) (2026 Supp.)
- Each extra full-time year adds 2% of your average salary at normal retirement. If you are retiring early, an extra year also moves you a year closer to normal retirement, raising the percentage on every year you have.Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), pp. 24-25
A full year of credited service is 10 school months, September to June, and you can't earn more than 10 months in a school year. To get credit for a month, you must be employed in a covered position on the first working day of that month and have mandatory contributions deducted from your pay. Connecticut TRB Retirement Overview (AI_RETPRESPP_240122), p. 7, Credited Service So "one more year" means a full September-to-June school year; part of a year adds part of the 2%. If you're short of a year, buying service credit may fill the gap.
Age 55 with 26 years
Our engine on Connecticut TRB's rules, on a $90,000 average salary that doesn't change:
| Retire | % of salary | Monthly | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nowage 55, 26 yrs | 36.4%30% cut | $2,730 | — |
| +1 yrage 56, 27 yrs | 41.04%24% cut | $3,078 | +$348 |
| +2 yrage 57, 28 yrs | 45.92%18% cut | $3,444 | +$714 |
| +3 yrage 58, 29 yrs | 51.04%12% cut | $3,828 | +$1,098 |
| +4 yrage 59, 30 yrs | 58.2%3% cut | $4,365 | +$1,635 |
| +5 yrage 60, 31 yrs | 62%full | $4,650 | +$1,920 |
Age 53 with 29 years: the 30-year jump
Our engine on Connecticut TRB's rules, on a $90,000 average salary that doesn't change:
| Retire | % of salary | Monthly | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nowage 53, 29 yrs | 38.28%34% cut | $2,871 | — |
| +1 yrage 54, 30 yrs | 51%15% cut | $3,825 | +$954 |
| +2 yrage 55, 31 yrs | 54.56%12% cut | $4,092 | +$1,221 |
Raises would add more: each year your three highest salaries may rise too. Once you reach 37.5 years (75%), more years add nothing except through a higher average salary. C.G.S. § 10-183g(a) (2026 Supp.); Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 21, Benefit Limits
What you give up by waiting
A bigger check later means fewer checks. Connecticut TRB's own illustration: someone 55 with 30 years gets 51% now or 60% by waiting to 60; Connecticut TRB compares the $255,000 received in those five years with the $9,000 a year more paid from 60. Connecticut TRB Retirement Overview (AI_RETPRESPP_240122), p. 6 In Connecticut TRB's pay-me-now-or-later illustration, the $255,000 not taken from 55 to 60 takes about 25 years of the extra $9,000 a year to make up ($255,000 / $9,000), before cost-of-living increases. The slide assumes you resign at 55. Connecticut TRB Retirement Overview (AI_RETPRESPP_240122), p. 6, Deferred Benefits - Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later? That's a reason to check both: the bigger check, and how long you'd need to collect it. The calculator shows your own numbers for each of the next three years, and your check at every age.
Questions
How much does one more year add to a Connecticut teacher pension?
At a normal retirement, 2% of your average salary a year, until you reach 75% at 37.5 years. If you'd retire early, a year also moves you a year closer to your normal retirement date, so the early retirement cut shrinks too.
Is the 30th year special?
Yes. At 30 years the early retirement cut switches to Table B, which is much smaller. At age 53, 29 years pays 38.28% of salary and 30 years pays 51%.
Source: CTRS Active Teachers' Handbook, July 1, 2022, pp. 21, 24, 24-25, 25. Also: Connecticut TRB Retirement Overview pp. 5, 6, 7; Deferring the Payment of Benefits/Terminal Leaves p. 2; C.G.S. § 10-183g. Last reviewed .