Social Security explained for public employees
Who qualifies, how much you get, when to start, and how Social Security fits with a PERS or FERS pension.
If your job paid Social Security tax for about 10 years, you'll get a monthly benefit for life on top of your pension. You can start it at any age from 62 to 70. Starting later pays more each month, and a public pension no longer reduces it.
Do you qualify?
You need 40 credits, which is about 10 years of work that paid Social Security tax (SSA: credits). All FERS jobs and most Oregon PERS jobs pay it. Look for "Social Security" or "OASDI" on your pay stub.
How much you'll get
Your benefit comes from your 35 highest years of earnings that paid Social Security tax, adjusted for wage growth. Years with no earnings count as zero. The easiest way to see your number is your statement at ssa.gov/myaccount, which shows your estimate at 62, at your full retirement age and at 70.
When to start
You can start at any age from 62 to 70. If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67. Starting at 62 pays 70% of your full amount for life, and waiting until 70 pays 124% (SSA: retirement age).
A pension can cover your bills while you wait, so many public employees retire first and start Social Security later. Weigh the choice in our full guide.
If you start before full retirement age and keep working, Social Security holds back $1 for every $2 you earn over $25,560 in 2027 (SSA: earnings limits).
Your spouse and survivors
- A spouse can get up to half of your full-retirement-age amount while you're alive, if that's more than their own benefit (SSA: benefits for a spouse).
- After you die, a widow or widower can get your benefit instead of their own if yours is bigger. That's why waiting to start can protect your spouse too.
How it fits with your pension
- No more cuts for public pensions. The Social Security Fairness Act ended the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset for benefits from January 2024 on (SSA). What that means for you.
- FERS retirees before 62: the FERS supplement pays a stand-in for Social Security until 62. How the supplement works.
- Taxes: depending on your total income, part of your Social Security may be taxed. A pension counts toward that income.
Medicare at 65
Medicare starts at 65 no matter when you start Social Security. Sign up during the 7 months around your 65th birthday. Signing up late for Part B adds 10% to your premium for each full year you could have had it, for as long as you have it, unless you're covered by a current job (Medicare: avoiding penalties).
How to apply
Apply online at ssa.gov, by phone, or at a local office. You can apply up to 4 months before you want payments to start (SSA: how to apply).
See your Social Security at every start age next to your pension, on one timeline.
Compare my start agesGeneral information, not advice. We aren't part of the Social Security Administration. Your statement at ssa.gov has your official estimate.