Retirement Calculators

Ohio OPERS & STRS Retirement Calculator

Q: Do Ohio OPERS and STRS members receive Social Security?

Generally no - most Ohio public employees don't participate in Social Security through their public employment, making their pension the primary foundation of their retirement income.

Q: Can STRS members choose a different plan structure?

Yes - STRS offers a Defined Benefit Plan, a Defined Contribution Plan, and a Combined Plan.

For most Ohio public employees, this pension isn't a supplement to Social Security — it's the whole retirement plan. A January 2025 federal law just changed the math for many, in a good way.

Estimate your Ohio pension

Standard defined benefit formula — OPERS Groups A/B/C and STRS tiers may vary slightly.

System

OPERS STRS

Final average salary

Years of service credit

Estimated annual pension

—

Multiplier applied to final average salary0%

Estimated monthly pension$0

Uses a standard flat 2.2% multiplier. OPERS has three membership groups (A, B, C) and STRS offers Defined Benefit, Defined Contribution, and Combined plan options that may use different formulas — confirm your exact figures with OPERS or STRS directly.

The basic formula

Both OPERS (covering general state and local government employees) and STRS (covering Ohio's public educators) calculate a traditional defined benefit pension using final average salary — the average of your highest 3 to 5 years of earnings, depending on your specific membership group — multiplied by a standard 2.2% per year of service. Thirty years of service produces a pension worth 66% of final average salary; on a $70,000 final average salary, that's roughly $46,200 a year for life.

Why this pension carries more weight than a typical one

Most Ohio public employees, including virtually all public educators, do not participate in Social Security through their public employment — meaning their OPERS or STRS pension isn't a supplement to a Social Security check, it's the entire foundation of their retirement income. This is a genuinely important framing difference from most private-sector retirement planning, where Social Security typically provides a meaningful floor underneath whatever else someone has saved.

The change that just happened, and matters enormously

The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law January 5, 2025, repealed two federal provisions that had reduced Social Security benefits for people receiving a non-covered pension like OPERS or STRS. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) had reduced an individual's own Social Security benefit — often by 30-50% — if they'd also worked enough years in Social-Security-covered employment to qualify for it separately. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) similarly reduced spousal and survivor Social Security benefits for people receiving an OPERS or STRS pension. Both are now repealed. If you're an OPERS or STRS member who also worked a Social-Security-covered job at some point — or you're married to someone who receives Social Security — this repeal may mean meaningfully more combined household income than the old rules would have allowed. If you haven't checked your Social Security Administration record since early 2025, it's worth doing so.

STRS members get a genuine choice of plan structure

Unlike most state pension systems, STRS Ohio offers three distinct plan options: a traditional Defined Benefit Plan (the formula-based pension described above), a Defined Contribution Plan (an account balance based entirely on your own investment choices and performance, similar to a 401(k)), and a Combined Plan blending features of both. This calculator models the traditional Defined Benefit option specifically — if you're in the Defined Contribution or Combined plan, your actual benefit depends significantly on investment performance rather than a fixed formula.

A few other things worth knowing

Reemployment: after retiring, you can return to Ohio public employment after a two-calendar-month break and keep both your full pension and your new earnings.
Local tax note: Ohio pension income is subject to federal and state income tax, and potentially a school district income tax depending on where you live — but no city or municipal income tax applies to pension income specifically.
Multiple systems: if you've worked in positions covered by more than one Ohio system (OPERS, STRS, or SERS), you may be able to retire from each independently based on your service credit in each.

The 2.2% multiplier formula, the general absence of Social Security coverage for most Ohio public employees, and the Social Security Fairness Act's January 2025 repeal of WEP and GPO verified across multiple independent 2026 sources, including OPERS/STRS-focused financial planning guides. This is a planning estimate — OPERS or STRS is the authoritative source for your specific group, tier, and benefit calculation.

Frequently asked questions

Before you plan your Ohio public pension retirement.

Do Ohio OPERS and STRS members receive Social Security?

Generally no - most Ohio public employees, including virtually all public educators, don't participate in Social Security through their public employment, making their pension the primary foundation of their retirement income.

What was the Social Security Fairness Act?

Signed into law January 5, 2025, it repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset - federal rules that had reduced Social Security benefits for people with a non-covered pension like OPERS or STRS.

What is the basic OPERS/STRS pension formula?

A standard 2.2% multiplier applied per year of service, multiplied by your final average salary (typically your highest 3-5 years of earnings), though OPERS groups and STRS plan options can vary.

Can STRS members choose a different plan structure?

Yes - STRS offers a traditional Defined Benefit Plan, a Defined Contribution Plan, and a Combined Plan, each with different benefit structures and investment risk.

Can I work again after retiring from an Ohio public pension?

Yes - after a two-calendar-month break, you can return to Ohio public employment and keep both your full pension and your new earnings.