STRS Ohio Retirement Estimate How to Read It
Where to Pull Your Estimate
Log into your STRS Ohio Online Personal Account at strsoh.org. The system generates a multi-page service retirement estimate based on your real-time account data — total qualifying service credit, contribution history, and projected Final Average Salary.
You can run estimates for different retirement dates to compare what an extra year or two of service does to your monthly benefit. Each estimate reflects the eligibility rules and multiplier in effect at the time you generate it.
The Key Numbers on Your Statement
Total qualifying service credit. This is the number that drives your benefit formula. It includes all Ohio public teaching service, any purchased credit (military, restored refunded service, out-of-state teaching, leaves), and combined credit from OPERS or SERS. Verify this against your own records — a missing year of service directly reduces your monthly check.
Final Average Salary (FAS). Calculated as the average of your five highest years of Ohio public earnings. The FAS sets the salary base that the multiplier applies to. If you're within a few years of retirement, each additional year at a higher salary can meaningfully increase your FAS.
The 2.2% multiplier. For Defined Benefit Plan members, your annual benefit equals 2.2% of your FAS multiplied by your total years of service credit. At 30 years of service with a $70,000 FAS, that's 30 × 0.022 × $70,000 = $46,200 per year, or $3,850 per month before any Plan of Payment reductions.
Plan of Payment Projections
Your estimate shows projected monthly benefits under each major option:
- Single Life Annuity — the maximum monthly amount
- Joint and Survivor options — reduced amounts at 100%, 50%, and other percentages, based on your beneficiary's age
- Annuity Certain — amounts for different guaranteed periods
The gap between Single Life and a 100% Joint and Survivor option can be substantial. The exact reduction depends on both your age and your beneficiary's age at retirement. A younger beneficiary means a larger reduction because STRS Ohio expects to pay survivor benefits for more years.
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What the Estimate Does Not Show
If you're considering a Partial Lump-Sum Option Plan, calculate its additional monthly reduction using STRS Ohio's age-based actuarial factors. Confirm whether that reduction is reflected in the estimate you are using before comparing amounts.
Before treating an estimate as take-home income, account for health care premiums, federal or state tax withholding, and any court-ordered Division of Property Order deductions that apply to you.
Combined Plan members see separate projections for the defined benefit portion (using a 1% FAS multiplier per year of service, not 2.2%) and the defined contribution portion. The DC portion depends on your invested account balance, not the formula.
When to Run a New Estimate
Generate a fresh estimate after any change that affects the formula inputs: a salary increase, a completed service credit purchase, a correction to your service record, or a shift in your target retirement date. The estimate uses current data, so one pulled six months ago may not reflect your latest annual salary or a recently purchased credit.
If your total is close to an eligibility threshold — 27, 32, or 5 years — schedule a counseling session with an STRS Ohio specialist. They can confirm exactly where you stand and whether purchasable service credit could close a gap.
Our STRS Ohio Retirement Guide includes an annotated walkthrough of every line on the estimate statement, so you know exactly what each number means and which ones matter most for your specific situation.
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