Is your pension good?
Against your state’s average.
“Good” depends on what else you have. FERS is meant to be one of three legs, with Social Security and the TSP.
Jump to a section
1. Compare yours
2. Average public pension by state
Average monthly benefit from state and local public pensions, such as teachers’, police and state employees’ plans, in 2024. The last column compares each with the $2,776 federal median.
| State | Average a month | vs federal median |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $1,927 | Below |
| Alaska | $2,180 | Below |
| Arizona | $1,797 | Below |
| Arkansas | $1,387 | Below |
| California | $3,130 | Above |
| Colorado | $3,222 | Above |
| Connecticut | $3,808 | Above |
| Delaware | $1,996 | Below |
| District of Columbia | $2,135 | Below |
| Florida | $2,012 | Below |
| Georgia | $2,179 | Below |
| Hawaii | $2,654 | Below |
| Idaho | $1,787 | Below |
| Illinois | $3,365 | Above |
| Indiana | $810 | Below |
| Iowa | $1,593 | Below |
| Kansas | $1,438 | Below |
| Kentucky | $1,656 | Below |
| Louisiana | $2,321 | Below |
| Maine | $1,975 | Below |
| Maryland | $2,218 | Below |
| Massachusetts | $3,417 | Above |
| Michigan | $2,050 | Below |
| Minnesota | $1,753 | Below |
| Mississippi | $2,242 | Below |
| Missouri | $1,429 | Below |
| Montana | $1,772 | Below |
| Nebraska | $1,792 | Below |
| Nevada | $3,279 | Above |
| New Hampshire | $1,783 | Below |
| New Jersey | $1,947 | Below |
| New Mexico | $2,606 | Below |
| New York | $2,140 | Below |
| North Carolina | $1,779 | Below |
| North Dakota | $1,436 | Below |
| Ohio | $2,577 | Below |
| Oklahoma | $1,064 | Below |
| Oregon | $2,795 | Above |
| Pennsylvania | $2,085 | Below |
| Rhode Island | $3,032 | Above |
| South Carolina | $1,823 | Below |
| South Dakota | $1,812 | Below |
| Tennessee | $1,734 | Below |
| Texas | $1,832 | Below |
| Utah | $2,048 | Below |
| Vermont | $1,928 | Below |
| Virginia | $1,761 | Below |
| Washington | $1,924 | Below |
| West Virginia | $1,407 | Below |
| Wisconsin | $2,285 | Below |
| Wyoming | $1,794 | Below |
Highest: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois, Nevada and Colorado. Lowest: Indiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, West Virginia and Missouri. Several high-pension states, such as Massachusetts and Colorado, cover many public workers who don’t get Social Security, so their pensions are bigger to make up for it.
State figures are averages for all recipients; the federal figure is a median for people 65 and older. Treat the comparison as rough.
3. Where federal pensions fit
| Pension type, age 65+ | Median a month, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Federal | $2,776 |
| Military | $2,192 |
| State or local | $2,078 |
| Private pensions and annuities | $953 |
Within federal service, CSRS pays far more than FERS. In fiscal 2022 the average CSRS annuity was $4,464 a month and the average FERS annuity $1,810. CSRS retirees generally don’t get Social Security for that service; FERS retirees do, plus the TSP. See what FERS actually pays and how the FERS pension is calculated.
4. What makes a pension “good”
- What it covers. A pension that pays your fixed bills is good, whatever the average.
- Inflation protection. CSRS gets full COLAs; FERS gets smaller ones, and usually none before 62. See COLAs explained.
- Survivor coverage. Taking a survivor benefit lowers your check but protects a spouse. See survivor elections.
- Health insurance. FEHB in retirement is worth a lot on its own. See the five-year rule.
Still working? Federal Warrior’s FERS pension estimator shows your future annuity. Protecting a spouse? Warrior Insure on FEGLI in retirement. Retiring on disability? Warrior Disability explains the FERS disability formula.
5. Frequently asked questions
What is a good pension amount?
Compared with others your age, a pension over about $2,078 a month beats the national median for state and local government retirees 65 and older, and over $2,776 beats the median federal pension, based on 2024 Census data. Whether it is enough depends on your spending, Social Security and savings.
Which states have the highest average public pensions?
Connecticut ($3,808 a month), Massachusetts ($3,417), Illinois ($3,365), Nevada ($3,279) and Colorado ($3,222), based on 2024 data from the National Institute on Retirement Security and AARP. Indiana ($810) and Oklahoma ($1,064) are lowest.
How does the average federal pension compare?
The median federal pension for people 65 and older was $2,776 a month in 2024, higher than the state and local median of $2,078. Among federal retirees, the average CSRS annuity was $4,464 a month and the average FERS annuity $1,810 in fiscal 2022. FERS pays less because it is built to sit alongside Social Security and the TSP.
Why are some states’ public pensions so low?
In states where public workers also get Social Security, such as Indiana and Oklahoma, pensions are built to be smaller. States where many don’t pay into Social Security, such as Ohio, Massachusetts and Colorado, pay larger pensions to make up for it. Benefit formulas and pay levels differ too.
Do these averages include federal pensions?
No. The state averages cover state and local public pensions, such as for teachers and police. Federal and military pensions are shown separately as national medians.