Check with VSTRSEstimate only, not an official benefit amount. Confirm with VSTRS (802-828-2305) before you decide.
Your estimated monthly check
Fill in the form and we'll show your group, your Option 1 benefit, the date you can retire without a reduction, and what working longer would add.
Retire as planned, or work longer?
Your check at every age
Compare two retirement dates
New to VSTRS? Start with which group am I?, then read the benefit formula, retiring early and payment options.
Common questions
How is a VSTRS pension calculated?
Your yearly Option 1 benefit is a percent of your average final compensation (your three highest consecutive years of pay) for each year of service: 1.67% a year for Group C service, 1.25% for any Group B service before July 1, 1990, and 2% for Group C #2 service after July 1, 2010 past 20 years. The total is capped at 60% (Group C #2) or 53.34% (Group C #1).
When can I retire from VSTRS without a reduction?
Group C #2: at 65, or when your age plus service add up to 90 (the rule of 90). Group C #1: at 62, or with 30 years of service. Group A: at 60 or with 30 years. Any Group C member can retire early from age 55 with 5 years, with a reduction.
What is the VSTRS COLA for 2027?
On Jan. 1, 2027, eligible retirees get 2.15% in Groups B and C and 4.3% in Group A. Inflation was 4.3% for the year to June 30, 2026, and Group C gets half of it.
Does VSTRS have a DROP?
No. None appears in the Treasurer's handouts, the law or the plan summary.
Is this the official VSTRS calculator?
No. This is an unofficial estimate built from the Vermont State Treasurer's published VSTRS handouts and Vermont law. It is not affiliated with VSTRS or the Treasurer's Office. VSTRS decides your benefit.
Compare Vermont with other states
- States where teachers don't get Social Security
- Teacher DROP plans by state: No. VSTRS has no DROP or similar option.
- Teacher pension COLAs by state: Group C: half of inflation each January. If you first became eligible and leave from July 2022: up to 4%, after 24 months.
- State taxes on teacher pensions, by state
- Teacher pension multipliers by state: 1.67% a year (1.25% for older Group B service; Group C #2 earns 2% after 20 years). Average of best 3 years in a row.
- Teacher retirement age by state: Group C #2: 65, or the rule of 90 (age + years = 90). Group A: age 60 or 30 years of service.
Plain-English guides
How your pension works
Which group am I?Group A, C #1 or C #2: three questions and a quick checker.→The benefit formulaThe percent you earn per year, the caps, and the Treasurer's worked examples.→Retiring earlyFrom 55 with 5 years: 6% a year for Group C #1, an actuarial cut for Group C #2.→Buying service creditOut-of-state, military and other service, 5 extra years after 25, and old Group B time.→VSTRS glossaryPlain-English definitions of AFC, the rule of 90, pop-ups and more.→
Planning your exit
After you retire
Working after retirementThe yearly earnings cap, freezing your pension, and re-retiring.→The VSTRS COLAThis year's increase for each group, how it's set, and when yours starts.→Retiree health coverageThe 80%, 70% and 60% subsidy tiers and spouse coverage.→Survivor and disability benefitsDeath before retirement, children's benefits, and disability retirement.→
More calculators
Not sure which rules are yours? Start with Which group am I? VSTRS has no DROP program.
Source: VSTRS Eligibility for Retirement: Group C #2 handout (Office of the State Treasurer), undated (PDF of Sept. 21, 2012), with 16 V.S.A. chapter 55 as of the 2026 session, pp. 1, 2, 3, 5; Group C #1 handout pp. 1, 2, 3; 2025 valuation pp. 57, 58, 59; Vermont Retirement Systems Defined Benefit Plan Comparison Chart p. 1; 2027 COLA notice pp. 1, 2; 16 V.S.A. § 1937. Last reviewed .