CalSTRS Age Factor Chart: 2% at 60 vs 2% at 62 Tables
How the Age Factor Determines Your Pension
The age factor is the percentage of final compensation you earn for each year of service credit. It's the variable in the CalSTRS formula that rewards patience — every month you wait to retire pushes the factor higher, up to a statutory cap.
Your tier determines which table applies. If you were first hired to perform CalSTRS-covered service on or before December 31, 2012, you're a 2% at 60 member. Hired on or after January 1, 2013? You're a 2% at 62 member under PEPRA.
CalSTRS 2% at 60 Age Factor Table
| Retirement Age | Age Factor | With Career Factor (30+ yrs) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 1.100% | 1.300% |
| 52 | 1.200% | 1.400% |
| 55 | 1.400% | 1.600% |
| 56 | 1.520% | 1.720% |
| 57 | 1.640% | 1.840% |
| 58 | 1.760% | 1.960% |
| 59 | 1.880% | 2.080% |
| 60 | 2.000% | 2.200% |
| 61 | 2.133% | 2.333% |
| 61.5 | 2.200% | 2.400% (cap) |
| 62 | 2.267% | 2.400% (cap) |
| 63+ | 2.400% (cap) | 2.400% (cap) |
Retirement at age 50 requires at least 30 years of service credit. Retirement between ages 50 and 55 with fewer than 30 years is not available.
CalSTRS 2% at 62 Age Factor Table (PEPRA)
| Retirement Age | Age Factor |
|---|---|
| 55 | 1.160% |
| 56 | 1.320% |
| 57 | 1.480% |
| 58 | 1.520% |
| 59 | 1.640% |
| 60 | 1.800% |
| 61 | 1.920% |
| 62 | 2.000% |
| 63 | 2.100% |
| 64 | 2.250% |
| 65+ | 2.400% (cap) |
PEPRA members cannot retire before age 55 regardless of service credit, and the career factor enhancement does not apply.
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The Career Factor: An Extra 0.2% for Veterans
The career factor is available only to 2% at 60 members with 30 or more years of earned service credit. It adds a flat 0.2% to the age factor at every age level, subject to the 2.4% overall cap.
The practical impact: a 2% at 60 member with 30 years of service hits the 2.4% cap at age 61.5 instead of waiting until age 63. Without the career factor, that same member at age 61.5 would receive only 2.2%.
On a $100,000 final compensation with 30 years of service, the career factor difference at age 61.5 amounts to $6,000 per year ($500 per month) — for every year of retirement.
Why Months Matter
CalSTRS doesn't calculate your age in whole years. Your age factor is determined by your exact age on the last day of the month in which your retirement becomes effective. Age factor tables increment monthly, so retiring at age 60 years and 3 months gets a higher factor than retiring at exactly 60.
If your birthday falls on December 15 and you retire effective December 31, CalSTRS uses your age as of December 31 — not your age at the start of the month.
For educators within a few months of a whole-year age factor milestone, the monthly increment can justify pushing the retirement date by one or two months. The difference between 1.97% and 2.0% on a $100,000 final compensation with 25 years of service is $750 per year — permanently.
Don't Confuse CalSTRS Tables With CalPERS
CalPERS miscellaneous member age factor tables use different percentages at every age. A CalPERS 2% at 62 member at age 60 gets a different factor than a CalSTRS 2% at 62 member at age 60. If you've seen a chart online without a system label, confirm which system's table you're reading.
The CalSTRS Service Retirement Guide includes the complete month-by-month age factor tables for both tiers, plus a comparison worksheet to model different retirement dates side by side.
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