How much does one more year add?
One more year of service adds 2.2% of your final average salary to your yearly STRS Ohio benefit: $1,760 a year on a $80,000 salary. If you'd otherwise retire reduced, the extra year also moves you to a smaller cut in STRS Ohio's benefit calculation table, so the gain is larger. Plan Summary, pp. 16-17, Salary-related benefit; Plans of Payment, pp. 2-3, Benefit calculation; ORC 3307.58(D)(3) Plan Summary, pp. 16-17 and 22-27; Plans of Payment, pp. 2-3 and 30-35; Benefit Calculation Table web page
Age 55 with 29 years, $80,000 final average salary
| Retire | Monthly | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Now (reduced) | $3,233 | |
| +1 yr (reduced) | $3,653 | +$420 |
| +2 yr (reduced) | $4,140 | +$907 |
| +3 yr (unreduced) | $4,693 | +$1,460 |
Age 61 with 15 years, $80,000 final average salary
| Retire | Monthly | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Now (reduced) | $1,540 | |
| +1 yr (reduced) | $1,787 | +$247 |
| +2 yr (reduced) | $2,067 | +$527 |
| +3 yr (reduced) | $2,400 | +$860 |
| +4 yr (unreduced) | $2,787 | +$1,247 |
Our own examples from STRS Ohio's 2025-2035 benefit table, retiring from July 1, 2026; one year of service added per year, salary unchanged.
Years where one more matters most
For retirements through 5/1/2035, these service totals change what you can do. Plan Summary, pp. 4-5 and 14-15; Plans of Payment, p. 1; Eligibility Requirements web page
- 27 years: you can retire at any age with a reduced benefit (otherwise you wait until 60). The retiring early guide shows how much less a reduced benefit pays.
- 32 years: unreduced at any age. Each year between 27 and 32 both adds 2.2% and shrinks the cut.
- 20 years: the minimum for STRS Ohio retiree health care and a premium subsidy if you retire now. 2026 Monthly Premiums, footnote 2; Plan Summary, pp. 22-23; Plans of Payment, pp. 18-21
- About 45 years: the benefit can't exceed 100% of final average salary, so years past that add nothing. Plan Summary, pp. 22-23, worksheet ('cannot exceed 100% of FAS'); ORC 3307.58(G)
The requirements rise to 28 and 33 years for retirements from June 2035, so the same service can mean a different benefit depending on your date. Plan Summary, pp. 4-5 and 14-15; Plans of Payment, p. 1; Eligibility Requirements web page You keep eligibility once you've reached it. Eligibility Requirements web page, Service retirement benefits; Plans of Payment, p. 1
The health care effect
STRS Ohio's premium subsidy grows with service. For retirements from Aug. 1, 2023 to July 1, 2032, this is the 2026 monthly premium for the non-Medicare Aetna Basic Plan by years of service. The biggest single step is at 27 years: $204 a month less than with 26. 2026 Monthly Premiums
| Years of service | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly premium | $849 | $815 | $781 | $747 | $713 | $679 | $646 | $442 | $408 | $374 | $340 |
Retiring Aug. 1, 2023-July 1, 2032: 30 years of service for the maximum subsidy. Retiring on or after Aug. 1, 2032: the years needed for the maximum subsidy will be the same as for an unreduced pension. 2026 Monthly Premiums, footnote 3 Health care isn't guaranteed and can change; see retiree health care.
What waiting costs
A year's wait is a year of pension you don't collect. STRS Ohio's own chart puts the average years remaining at age 60 at 25.8 for men and 28.7 for women, and at 65 at 21.4 and 24.2. It's for information only. Plans of Payment, pp. 28-29 Buying credit is another way to add a year without working it; see buying service credit.
What the brochures say
- Each extra year of service adds 2.2% of your final average salary to your yearly benefit. If you're under a reduced requirement, one more year also shrinks the early-retirement cut.Plan Summary, pp. 16-17 and 24-27
Questions
How much does one more year add to an STRS Ohio pension?
At least 2.2% of your final average salary a year: $1,760 a year on a $80,000 salary. If you'd retire reduced, a year also shrinks the cut, so the gain can be much bigger.
When does working longer stop helping?
Once you're unreduced, each year adds the same 2.2% until the benefit reaches 100% of your final average salary, about 45 years. A raise in your best years also helps.
Can one more year lower my retiree health premium?
Yes. STRS Ohio's subsidy grows with service. For retirements from Aug. 2023 to July 2032, going from 26 to 27 years cuts the 2026 non-Medicare premium by $204 a month.
Source: STRS Ohio, Understanding Your STRS Ohio Benefits: Plan Summary, 2026|2027 (form 20-101, Aug. 2026), pp. 4-5, 14-15, 16-17, 22-27, 22-23, 24-27. Also: STRS Ohio Service Retirement and Plans of Payment (Defined Benefit Plan), 2026|2027 (form 15-126, 6/26), pp. 1, 2-3, 28-29, 30-35. Also: STRS Ohio Benefit Calculation Table (June 1, 2025-May 1, 2035), Saved by the user Nov. 12, 2026. Also: STRS Ohio Eligibility Requirements, Saved by the user Nov. 12, 2026. Also: STRS Ohio 2026 Monthly Premiums (effective Jan. 1, 2026), Form 21-135, 6/25. Background: Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3307. Last reviewed .