Step 1: when did your job begin?
- Employment began on or after July 1, 2006: Hybrid (police, fire, certain public safety officers, judges and elected and legislative officers excepted).
- Employment began on or after July 1, 1984 (and before July 1, 2006): Noncontributory, unless you elected the Hybrid plan in 2006.
- Employment began before July 1, 1984: Contributory, unless you elected the Noncontributory plan in 1984 or the Hybrid plan in 2006.
ERS Members FAQ page, 'How do I know what plan I'm in?'
The Hybrid plan started on July 1, 2006. Members of the older plans could choose to move to it then. ERS annual report 2024 p. 11, Plan Summary ('On July 1, 2006, the Hybrid Class became effective pursuant to Act 179/2004'); p. 45, Note A.3 (qualified Contributory and Noncontributory members could change to Hybrid effective July 1, 2006)
Active Noncontributory members cannot opt to become Hybrid members. A former Noncontributory member who returns to a position requiring ERS membership after a break in service must join the Hybrid plan; with no break in service the employee remains Noncontributory. ERS Members FAQ page, 'I am a Noncontributory member. Can I transfer or opt to become a Hybrid member?'
Step 2: when did you join ERS?
Inside each plan, the rules split on your membership date: before July 1, 2012, or after June 30, 2012. If you joined after June 30, 2012 you earn less a year, vest later, use a five-year average, retire unreduced later and get a smaller yearly increase. Hybrid handout (Oct. 2026) p. 3, Service Retirement Eligibility Requirements ('Membership date after June 30, 2012' / 'Membership date prior to July 1, 2012')
One more date matters for Hybrid and Contributory members: the interest on your contributions is 4.5% if you joined before July 1, 2011, and 2% if you joined after June 30, 2011. Hybrid Q&A brochure (2012) Q5 ('If your membership date is after June 30, 2011, you will earn an interest rate of 2%. If your membership date is prior to July 1, 2011, you will earn an interest rate of 4.5%'); ERS annual report 2024 p. 13
The interest rate on contributions splits on July 1, 2011 (4.5% before, 2% after June 30, 2011), one year before the July 1, 2012 benefit tier date. This is how every source states it; it is recorded here so the two dates are not merged.
Hybrid Q&A brochure (2012) Q5; ERS annual report 2024 p. 13; ERS actuarial valuation 2025 PDF p. 51, Table 16 ('For members hired after June 30, 2011, the interest crediting rate on employee contributions and accrued interest is 2.0% per annum')The plans side by side
Hybrid · joined before July 1, 2012
- You pay
- 6% of gross salary
- Each year of service earns
- 2% of AFC
- AFC (average pay)
- High-Three
- Vested after
- 5 years
- Full benefit at
- age 62 with 5 years or age 55 with 30 years
- Early, reduced
- age 55 with 20 years; 5% a year under 62
- Yearly increase
- 2.5%
Hybrid · joined after June 30, 2012
- You pay
- 8% of base salary
- Each year of service earns
- 1.75% of AFC
- AFC (average pay)
- High-Five
- Vested after
- 10 years
- Full benefit at
- age 65 with 10 years or age 60 with 30 years
- Early, reduced
- age 55 with 20 years; 5% a year under 65
- Yearly increase
- 1.5%
Noncontributory
- You pay
- nothing
- Each year of service earns
- 1.25% of AFC
- AFC (average pay)
- High-Three
- Vested after
- 10 years
- Full benefit at
- age 62 with 10 years or age 55 with 30 years
- Early, reduced
- age 55 with 20 years; 6% a year under 62
- Yearly increase
- 2.5%
Contributory · joined before July 1, 2012
- You pay
- 7.8% of gross salary
- Each year of service earns
- 2% of AFC
- AFC (average pay)
- High-Three
- Vested after
- 5 years
- Full benefit at
- age 55 with 5 years
- Early, reduced
- any age with 25 years; 5% a year under 55 plus 4% a year under 50
- Yearly increase
- 2.5%
| Hybrid joined before July 1, 2012 | Hybrid joined after June 30, 2012 | Noncontributory | Contributory joined before July 1, 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You pay | 6% of gross salary | 8% of base salary | nothing | 7.8% of gross salary |
| Each year of service earns | 2% of AFC | 1.75% of AFC | 1.25% of AFC | 2% of AFC |
| AFC (average pay) | High-Three | High-Five | High-Three | High-Three |
| Vested after | 5 years | 10 years | 10 years | 5 years |
| Full benefit at | age 62 with 5 years or age 55 with 30 years | age 65 with 10 years or age 60 with 30 years | age 62 with 10 years or age 55 with 30 years | age 55 with 5 years |
| Early, reduced | age 55 with 20 years; 5% a year under 62 | age 55 with 20 years; 5% a year under 65 | age 55 with 20 years; 6% a year under 62 | any age with 25 years; 5% a year under 55 plus 4% a year under 50 |
| Yearly increase | 2.5% | 1.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
Sources: Hybrid handout (Oct. 2026) p. 3, Service Retirement Eligibility Requirements (membership date prior to July 1, 2012: Age 62 w/5 yos, Age 55 w/30 yos; early Age 55 w/20 yos; multiplier 2.0%; vesting 5 yos; AFC average of 3 highest years of gross pay); Noncontributory handout (Oct. 2026) p. 3, Service Retirement Eligibility Requirements (Regular 62/10 and 55/30, no age reduction; Early 55/20, 6% age reduction for each year between age 55-62; Deferred 65/10, 55/30, 55/20-29 with 6% reduction); Contributory handout (Oct. 2026) p. 3, Service Retirement Eligibility Requirements (membership date prior to July 1, 2012: Normal Age 55 w/5 yos; Early Any age w/25 yos; multiplier 2.0%; vesting 5 yos); Hybrid Q&A brochure (2012) Q3; Leaving Employment, Hybrid (2012) Q1
Contributory general employees who joined after June 30, 2012 get 1.75% a year, full benefit at age 60 with 10 years, and pay 9.8%. Teachers hired after June 30, 2012 are Hybrid members. Contributory handout (Oct. 2026) p. 3 (membership date after June 30, 2012: Normal Age 60 w/10 yos; Early Age 55 w/25 yos; multiplier 1.75%; vesting 10 yos)
Noncontributory membership after June 30, 2012 is shown in the ACFR table, but former Noncontributory members returning after a break must join the Hybrid plan (Members FAQ). Our calculator supports only pre-July 2012 Noncontributory membership dates and adds a note.
What would settle it: ERS confirmation of who can hold a post-2012 Noncontributory membership dateWho has to join
Full-time, part-time (50% FTE or more), permanent or temporary (more than 3 months) State or County employees must join the ERS as a condition of employment (elected officers excepted). Substitute teachers and positions under half time are excluded. Hybrid Q&A brochure (2012) Q2; HAR §6-21-14(2), (3), (5)
From the sources
- Hawaii public school teachers belong to the Employees' Retirement System of the State of Hawaii (ERS) as general employees. ERS has three plans: Hybrid, Noncontributory and Contributory. Your plan depends on when you started work and any election you made.Leaving Employment, Hybrid (2012) Q1; ERS annual report 2024 p. 16
- Employment began on or after July 1, 2006: you are a Hybrid member. Most new employees have been Hybrid members since the Hybrid plan took effect on July 1, 2006.ERS Members FAQ page, 'How do I know what plan I'm in?'; ERS annual report 2024 p. 11
- Employment began on or after July 1, 1984 (and before July 1, 2006): you are a Noncontributory member, unless you elected to join the Hybrid plan in 2006. Employment began before July 1, 1984: you are a Contributory member, unless you elected Noncontributory in 1984 or Hybrid in 2006.ERS Members FAQ page, 'How do I know what plan I'm in?'
- Within each plan, the rules split on your membership date: before July 1, 2012, or after June 30, 2012. Members who joined after June 30, 2012 have a lower multiplier, a longer vesting period, a five-year average salary and a smaller yearly increase.Hybrid handout (Oct. 2026) p. 3; ERS annual report 2024 p. 11
- Active Noncontributory members cannot switch to the Hybrid plan. A former Noncontributory member who returns to a job requiring membership after a break in service must join the Hybrid plan.ERS Members FAQ page, 'I am a Noncontributory member. Can I transfer...?'
- Membership is required for full-time and part-time (50% FTE or more) State and County employees and for temporary employees hired for more than 3 months. Substitute teachers and positions under half time are excluded.Hybrid Q&A brochure (2012) Q2; HAR §6-21-14
- Hybrid members vest with 5 years of service (membership before July 1, 2012) or 10 years (membership after June 30, 2012). Noncontributory members vest with 10 years.Hybrid handout (Oct. 2026) p. 3; ERS annual report 2024 p. 12
Questions
Which ERS plan am I in?
It depends on when your job began. From July 1, 2006: Hybrid. July 1, 1984 to June 30, 2006: Noncontributory, unless you chose Hybrid in 2006. Before July 1, 1984: Contributory, unless you chose another plan in 1984 or 2006.
What changed on July 1, 2012?
Members who joined after June 30, 2012 get 1.75% a year instead of 2%, vest after 10 years instead of 5, use a five-year average of base pay, retire unreduced later, and get a 1.5% yearly increase instead of 2.5%.
Can I switch from Noncontributory to Hybrid now?
No. Active Noncontributory members can't switch. If you leave and come back after a break in service, you join the Hybrid plan.
Source: Hawaii ERS Hybrid Retirement Information, October 2026, p. 3. Also: ERS Members FAQ page; ERS annual report 2024 pp. 11, 12, 13, 16, 45, 47, 48; Hybrid Q&A brochure (2012) Q2, Q3, Q5; Noncontributory handout (Oct. 2026) p. 3; Contributory handout (Oct. 2026) p. 3; Leaving Employment, Hybrid (2012) Q1; ERS actuarial valuation 2025 PDF p. 47; HAR § 6-21-14. Last reviewed .