When you retire, you will get a monthly pension benefit for life. Your base benefit is calculated using a formula, as defined by law, using the following factors:

• Final Average Pay (FAP) – The average of your highest 36 consecutive months of pay
• Multiplier – A number established by the legislature
• Credited Service – Your years and months of credited service earned, purchased, or transferred, and unused sick leave (if applicable)

(Base benefit is the amount before any reductions, taxes, or other deductions.)

To answer your question specifically, the FAP is based on the highest 36 consecutive months in your pay history, not on fiscal years. For most people that ends up being at the end of their state service, but not always.  

MOSERS must administer the retirement plans according to applicable state and federal laws. With respect to retiree reemployment, state law generally requires payments to be paused when a retiree returns to employment:

"Employee" shall be any person who is employed by a department and is paid a salary or wage by a department in a position normally requiring the performance of duties of not less than one thousand forty hours per year. RSMo 104.1003.1(13).

If a retiree is employed as an employee by a department, the retiree shall not receive an annuity payment for any calendar month in which the retiree is so employed . . . . RSMo 104.1039.

No, the temporary benefit is not available to those who elect early retirement. You will receive a temporary benefit only if you are a general state employee who is younger than the age of 62 and you retire under normal retirement with the MSEP 2000 (“Rule of 80”) or MSEP 2011 (“Rule of 90”).

If you retire under the "Rule of 80" (MSEP 2000) or the "Rule of 90" (MSEP 2011), in addition to your base benefit, the temporary benefit provides you with an additional benefit until age 62. The formula for the temporary benefit is: Final Average Pay (FAP) x .008 (Multiplier) x Credited Service = Temporary Benefit. At age 62, the temporary benefit ends but your base benefit continues.

No, we are not aware of any legislative proposals related to a “75 and out” retirement. MOSERS administers retirement benefits, but we do not have the authority to change plan provisions. Any change to the Rule of 80/”80 & Out” (or any other state employee pension provisions) would require a change in the law. Anytime the Missouri General Assembly is in session, you can follow any bills affecting MOSERS on our Legislation page.

NORMAL RETIREMENT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS for General State Employees

MSEP Members

• Age 65 + 5 years of service
• Age 60 + 15 years of service
• “Rule of 80” – (at least age 48) when age + years of service = 80 or more

MSEP 2000 Members

• Age 62 + 5 years of service
• “Rule of 80” – (at least age 48) when age + years of service = 80 or more

MSEP 2011 Members

• Age 67 + 5 years of service
• “Rule of 90” – (at least age 55) when age + years of service = 90 or more at time of termination

Yes. General state employees who retire under MSEP 2000 or MSEP 2011, who are eligible for the temporary benefit, will continue to receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on their continuing base benefit after their temporary benefit ends. 

Any COLAs associated to the temporary benefit, and the temporary benefit itself, will end directly after the member’s 62^nd birthday. To learn more, see our Cost-of-Living Adjustments page. 

No. The law does not allow you to purchase or transfer service from another state to MOSERS.

Depending upon your plan membership (MSEP, MSEP 2000, or MSEP 2011), once you are vested, you may be able to purchase or transfer service acquired in the state of Missouri. With the exception of prior military service, it must be full-time, nonfederal, public (government) employment, and rendered in Missouri, such as the following types of service:

• Service with MODOT or the Missouri Highway Patrol
• Service with a city, county, or public school in Missouri
• Prior military service

Purchasing or transferring service may increase your pension benefit, make you eligible for retirement sooner, or both. For more information contact a MOSERS benefit counselor and see

Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP (Closed Plan) Members

Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP 2000 Members

Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP 2011 Members

For potential part-time employment to count toward your future pension benefit, it must be in a benefit-eligible position. It is the responsibility of the employer, not MOSERS, to determine if a position is eligible for MOSERS benefits. Generally speaking, an employee must work in a position normally requiring at least 1,040 hours per year to qualify for MOSERS benefits. 

Pension benefits for general state employees are calculated using the formula: Final Average Pay (FAP) x Multiplier x Credited Service = Monthly Base Benefit

When we calculate your future pension benefit, we would not “convert it to 50%”. If you worked for three years in a benefit-eligible position, you would accrue an additional three years of service. When you retire, we will look at your entire MOSERS-covered pay history (excluding any time during a BackDROP period) and find your highest 36 consecutive months of pay. For most members, that occurs during their final three years but not in all situations. Your question is a good example of when a member’s “high 36” may not be during their last three years.

Once your potential employer has notified you if it is a benefit-eligible position or not, we encourage you to contact a MOSERS benefit counselor to further discuss your specific situation.

All benefit provisions are outlined in law and MOSERS must administer benefits according to the law. In 2010, the Missouri General Assembly made changes to pension plans including the elimination of BackDROP for newer state employees. However, state employees retained the valuable defined benefit plan structure, which provides lifetime retirement benefits. BackDROP is available only to general state employees in MSEP and MSEP 2000. You can track proposed legislative changes on our Legislation page when the General Assembly is in session from January through mid-May.