Your hire date
| First hired | Program |
|---|---|
| Before Jan. 1, 1996 | Tier One |
| Jan. 1, 1996 to Aug. 28, 2003 | Tier Two |
| Aug. 29, 2003 or later | OPSRP Pension Program |
Oregon PERS decides the program by when the six-month wait time started, not when it ended (hired Dec. 1995 and finishing wait time in 1996 = Tier One). The program never changes unless membership is lost or withdrawn; a member who rejoins after that is OPSRP. Judges have a separate plan and are not in OPSRP. Oregon PERS Employer Guide Ch. 1 (Sept. 2026), pp. 8-9; Oregon PERS webpage 'What plan am I in?'
OPSRP stands for the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan. The 2003 Legislature created it. Oregon PERS Employer Guide Ch. 1 (Sept. 2026), pp. 10, 13; Oregon PERS webpage 'Tier One Tier Two overview and benefit calculation'; ORS 238A.140, note on 2003 c.733 §11a Your program sets the formula and your early retirement ages.
The three side by side
Tier One
- Who
- Hired into a Oregon PERS-qualifying position (began the six-month wait time) on or before Dec. 31, 1995.
- Formula
- 1.67% × years of service × final average salary, or Money Match if higher
- Full benefit
- 58, or 30 years at any age
- Early
- From 55, reduced
- Final average salary
- Best three years (any three), or the last 36 months
- In the salary
- Vacation payout: yes. Unused sick leave: yes, if your employer takes part.
- Member account
- Guaranteed assumed rate (credited 6.90% for 2022-2025)
- Tax remedy
- Yes, for Oregon residents who qualify
Tier Two
- Who
- Hired into a Oregon PERS-qualifying position (began the six-month wait time) on or after Jan. 1, 1996 and before Aug. 29, 2003, and not already a Tier One member.
- Formula
- 1.67% × years of service × final average salary, or Money Match if higher
- Full benefit
- 60, or 30 years at any age
- Early
- From 55, reduced
- Final average salary
- Best three years (any three), or the last 36 months
- In the salary
- Vacation payout: no. Unused sick leave: yes, if your employer takes part.
- Member account
- No guarantee; actual market returns (9.19% credited for 2025)
- Tax remedy
- No
OPSRP Pension Program
- Who
- Hired into a Oregon PERS-qualifying position after Aug. 28, 2003, with no earlier Tier One/Tier Two membership (also anyone who lost or withdrew earlier membership and later rejoins).
- Formula
- 1.5% × years of service × final average salary
- Full benefit
- 65, or 58 with 30 years
- Early
- From 55, reduced
- Final average salary
- Best three years in a row, or the last 36 months
- In the salary
- Vacation payout: no. Unused sick leave: no.
- Member account
- No member account; member contributions go to the IAP
- Tax remedy
- No
Everyone: the IAP
Since Jan. 1, 2004 every Tier One, Tier Two and OPSRP member also has an Individual Account Program (IAP) account: 6% of salary (paid by the member or picked up by the employer) invested in a target-date fund, with no guaranteed return. Members retire from the IAP when they retire from the pension, and must be separated from all Oregon PERS employers to do so. Oregon PERS Benefit Comparison Chart (Dec. 2024), p. 1; Oregon PERS Employer Guide Ch. 1 (Sept. 2026), p. 11; Oregon PERS OPSRP Preretirement Guide (June 2026), p. 5 How the IAP works
Since 2020, part of the 6% can go to an Employee Pension Stability Account instead, in months when your pay is over $3,890 (2026). Oregon PERS webpage 'SB 1049: Employee Pension Stability Account'; Oregon PERS webpage 'Senate Bill 1049 (2019) - Member information', Member Redirect; Oregon PERS Employer Guide Ch. 1 (Sept. 2026), pp. 11-12
What the sources say
- Oregon teachers and other school employees are members of Oregon PERS. Which pension program you are in depends on when you were hired into a Oregon PERS-qualifying position: Tier One if before January 1, 1996; Tier Two if January 1, 1996 through August 28, 2003; the OPSRP Pension Program if after August 28, 2003.Oregon PERS Benefit Comparison Chart (Dec. 2024), p. 1; Oregon PERS OPSRP Preretirement Guide (June 2026), p. 6
- Oregon PERS goes by the date your six-month waiting period started, not the date it ended. Once you are in a program you stay in it, unless you withdraw or lose membership; if you come back after that, you join OPSRP.Oregon PERS Employer Guide Ch. 1 (Sept. 2026), pp. 8-9
- Every member hired or still working since January 1, 2004 also has an Individual Account Program (IAP) account, funded with 6% of salary, in addition to the pension.Oregon PERS Employer Guide Ch. 1 (Sept. 2026), p. 11; Oregon PERS Benefit Comparison Chart (Dec. 2024), p. 1
Questions
What date decides my tier?
The date you were first hired into a job that qualifies for Oregon PERS: more exactly, when your six-month waiting period began. Someone hired in December 1995 who finished the wait in 1996 is still Tier One.
Can my tier change?
No, unless you withdraw your account or lose membership. If you come back after that, you join OPSRP.
What is the IAP?
The Individual Account Program: since Jan. 1, 2004, 6% of every member's salary goes into an investment account, on top of the pension.
Are judges in OPSRP?
No. Judges have a separate Oregon PERS plan, which this site doesn't cover.
Source: Oregon PERS Tier One/Tier Two and OPSRP Preretirement Guides, Published June 2026, Oregon PERS OPSRP Preretirement Guide (June 2026) pp. 5, 6; Oregon PERS Benefit Comparison Chart (Dec. 2024) p. 1; Oregon PERS Employer Guide Ch. 1 (Sept. 2026) pp. 8, 9, 10, 11; Oregon PERS webpages: Tier One Tier Two overview and benefit calculation; What plan am I in?; ORS 238.350, 238.435, 238A.140. Last reviewed .