You must wait 60 days (if you retire at 62 or later) or 180 days (before 62) before working for any KPERS employer, counting the day after your retirement date as day one, with no prearrangement. After that there is no earnings limit; you make no contributions and earn no more service. Membership Guide, p. 16, Working After You Retire; Pre-Retirement Guide, p. 22
180-day wait (under 62): first workday December 30, 2027. Pre-Retirement Guide, p. 22
KPERS's own sources count the working-after-retirement wait slightly differently.
We use KPERS's worked example (July 1 retirement: Sept. 1 or Dec. 30), the later date.
Would settle it: KPERS confirming the first allowed workday for a given retirement date.What your employer pays
If the retiree is in a covered position, the employer pays the statutory employer rate on the first $40,000 of the retiree's pay in a calendar year and 30% on pay above $40,000. No employer contribution for non-covered positions. The retiree pays nothing and earns no more service. Working After Retirement flier, PDF p. 1 ('Employers contribute the regular/statutory rate on earnings up to $40,000 and 30% on earnings above $40,000'; 'Rate change to 30% starts with the first pay period after employee reaches $40,000')
| Your pay in a year | Employer pays at 11.32% |
|---|---|
| $30,000 | $3,396 |
| $50,000 | $7,528 |
Illustration with the FY 2027 State/School rate of 11.32%. KPERS Budget Narrative FY 2027 (Sept. 30, 2025), PDF p. 10 ('The State/School group remains at the actuarial required contribution (ARC) rate in FY 2026 and FY 2027 with employer contribution rates of 11.68% and 11.32% respectively')
Penalties and exceptions
If KPERS finds a prearrangement or a broken waiting period, your benefit is suspended from the month you return to work until six months after you leave, and you repay the benefits paid while you worked. Interviews, applications and even talk about a job count as prearrangement. Membership Guide, p. 16, Penalties; Pre-Retirement Guide, p. 22
Substitute teachers without contracts are exempt positions (not enrolled, no employer contribution), but the prearrangement and waiting-period rules still apply. Referees, extracurricular judges and ticket-takers without contracts are exempt from both, if that's their only school job. Working After Retirement flier, PDF pp. 1-2; K.S.A. 74-4914(6)(b)(v)
Your age on your retirement date sets the wait, so the date you pick matters: see Retiring early. Working again doesn't change the payment option you chose, and you earn no more service while you work, so your check stays the same (see COLA).
What KPERS says
- Check with KPERSYou must wait 60 days (if you retire at 62 or later) or 180 days (before 62) before working for any KPERS employer, counting the day after your retirement date as day one, with no prearrangement. After that there is no earnings limit; you make no contributions and earn no more service.Membership Guide, p. 16, Working After You Retire; Pre-Retirement Guide, p. 22See conflict waiting-period-count: KPERS's example is a day later than a plain count, and one webinar says the wait 'begins with retirement date'.
- KPERS's example: if your retirement date is July 1, July 2 is day one; with a 60-day wait you can start work on September 1, and with 180 days on December 30.Pre-Retirement Guide, p. 22
- If the retiree is in a covered position, the employer pays the statutory employer rate on the first $40,000 of the retiree's pay in a calendar year and 30% on pay above $40,000. No employer contribution for non-covered positions. The retiree pays nothing and earns no more service.Working After Retirement flier, PDF p. 1 ('Employers contribute the regular/statutory rate on earnings up to $40,000 and 30% on earnings above $40,000'; 'Rate change to 30% starts with the first pay period after employee reaches $40,000')
- If KPERS finds a prearrangement or a broken waiting period, your benefit is suspended from the month you return to work until six months after you leave, and you repay the benefits paid while you worked. Interviews, applications and even talk about a job count as prearrangement.Membership Guide, p. 16, Penalties; Pre-Retirement Guide, p. 22
- Substitute teachers without contracts are exempt positions (not enrolled, no employer contribution), but the prearrangement and waiting-period rules still apply. Referees, extracurricular judges and ticket-takers without contracts are exempt from both, if that's their only school job.Working After Retirement flier, PDF pp. 1-2; K.S.A. 74-4914(6)(b)(v)
- HB 2411 (shorter waiting period for retirees hired as licensed teachers) and HB 2194 (employer-contribution exemption for retired teachers) died in the 2025-2026 biennium.kslegislature.gov HB 2411 and HB 2194 bill pages, retrieved 2026-11-12
Questions
How long do I have to wait to work for a KPERS employer after retiring?
60 days if you retired at 62 or older, 180 days if you were younger. The day after your retirement date is day one, and there can be no prearranged agreement.
Is there an earnings limit?
No. After the waiting period there's no earnings limit and your benefit keeps coming.
What does my school pay?
If you're in a covered position, your employer pays its regular rate on your first $40,000 of pay in a calendar year and 30% above that.
Source: KPERS Membership Guide: KPERS 1 & 2, Correctional KPERS 1 & 2, Revised 2/26, p. 16. Also: KPERS Pre-Retirement Planning Guide for KPERS 1 & 2 (1/25), p. 22. Also: KPERS 1 & 2 Retirement Application booklet (6/26), p. 19. Also: KPERS Working After Retirement flier for school employers, PDF pp. 1-2, 1. Also: KPERS 3 Pre-Retirement Webinar slides, slide 62. Last reviewed .