State of Texas Retirement for Active Employees

The State of Texas Retirement program is a defined benefit retirement plan (also known as a pension) for eligible employees of State of Texas agencies, with mandatory participation.

Note for employees of higher education institutions, the Community Supervision and Corrections Department and Windham School District. ERS does not administer your annuity benefits. If you work for one of these entities, please see information the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) and the Optional Retirement Program (ORP). If you become eligible for insurance benefits in retirement, ERS will administer those. Please see the Insurance Benefits in Retirement page for more information.

Know your retirement group

Each ERS member’s eligibility for retirement and their pension annuity calculation depend on their retirement group, which is based on when they started working at a participating State of Texas agency. It’s important to know your ERS retirement group to understand your pension benefit.

Program benefits

• Monthly annuity for life when the member becomes eligible and chooses to retire
• Options for a partial lump-sum payment at retirement and/or survivor benefits after the retiree’s death
• The possibility to participate in health and other insurance benefits in retirement

Eligibility

The following groups are eligible and required to participate in State of Texas Retirement:

• Employees of State of Texas agencies, including certified peace officers and custodial officers, who participate in the Law Enforcement and Custodial Officer Supplemental (LECOS) Retirement Fund
  • The LECOS Fund provides an additional retirement benefit at an additional cost.
• Elected state officials, including district and criminal attorneys who receive salaries from the state's general revenue fund
• Eligible judges and justices in Texas, who participate in the Judicial Retirement System Plan 2 (JRS 2)

How do I sign up?

• State agency employees (including certified peace officers and custodial officers eligible for the LECOS Fund), elected state officials (including district and criminal attorneys), and eligible judges and justices are automatically enrolled in State of Texas Retirement during their first month of employment/office, with the first contribution deducted from the first paycheck.
• Eligibility to retire with an annuity depends on when you start work for the state, your age and your years of service.
  • Learn when you can retire.
• Learn the three-step process to apply for retirement, when you become eligible.

Gain-sharing in Group 4

Employees in Retirement Group 4 (who started state agency employment after Aug. 31, 2022) participate in gain-sharing, a way for ERS to share positive investment returns with Group 4 members and retirees. Under current state law, only members and retirees in Group 4 participate in gain-sharing.

• Learn more about gain-sharing.
• View gain-share values since Fiscal Year 2023.

Annuity options

When you become eligible and retire with ERS, you will receive a lifetime monthly payment called an annuity.
At retirement, you may choose:

• the standard annuity, or
• an option that continues payments to your designated beneficiary after your death and/or the self-funded increase option, and/or
• a partial lump-sum payment from your account at retirement.