State of Texas Retirement for Active Employees

The State of Texas Retirement program is a defined benefit retirement plan for eligible employees of State of Texas agencies, with mandatory participation. 

Note: ERS does not administer retirement benefits for employees of higher education institutions, the Community Supervision and Corrections Department, or Windham School District. If you work for one of these entities, please see the Teacher Retirement System of Texas/Optional Retirement Program (TRS/ORP) page for information about your retirement benefits. Please see the Insurance Benefits in Retirement page for information about your insurance benefits as a retiree.

Program includes:

• monthly annuity for life, with an amount based on working salary, years of service and date of hire, and
• option for survivor benefits after retiree’s death.

Annuity options:

When you retire with ERS, you will receive a lifetime monthly payment called an annuity. You may choose:

• the standard annuity,
• a partial lump sum and/or
• options that continue payments to your designated beneficiary after your death.

Eligibility:

• Automatic enrollment for employees of State of Texas agencies , elected state officials and district attorneys in the first month of employment/office
• Automatic enrollment for certified peace officers in the Law Enforcement & Custodial Officers Supplemental Retirement Fund (LECOSRF), which provides an additional benefit at an additional cost
• Automatic enrollment for judges in the Judicial Retirement System 1 (JRS 1) or the Judicial Retirement System 2 (JRS 2), depending on date of office/appointment
• Eligibility for retirement annuity based on age, years of service and date of employment
  • When can I retire?  

How do I sign up?

• Automatic enrollment during first month of employment/office, with the first contribution deducted from the first paycheck.
• Three steps for applying for retirement, upon reaching eligibility for an annuity.

Regular service retirement resources

• Frequently asked questions about retirement
• Planning Your Retirement booklet (pdf)
• Purchase service credit
• Ready, Set, Retire - presentation (pdf)
• Ready, Set, Retire (video)
• Regular State Employee Retirement and Insurance Overview handout (pdf)
• Retirement overview page

Other retirement resources 

• Elected state official overview page (includes district and criminal attorneys that receive salaries from the state general revenue fund)
• JRS overview page
• LECOSRF overview page
• Proportionate Retirement Program
• Texa$aver℠ 401(k) / 457 Program (personal retirement savings to supplement your State of Texas retirement income)
• Texa$aver plan comparison
• Tiered Retiree Insurance