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Compare your retirement pay under the Blended Retirement System (BRS) and High-3 legacy plan. Get accurate monthly and annual estimates based on the current DoD pay tables.
Models Final Pay, High-3, CSB/REDUX, and BRS (active or Reserve/Guard points), then layers in the VA disability offset and compares CRDP vs CRSC after tax. Estimates only. Confirm with DFAS or your finance office before you make elections.
50% x $5,245 base.
Sources (reviewed July 2026)
Estimates in today's dollars. Excludes COLA growth, TSP investment returns, Chapter 61 disability-retirement caps, the SBP-DIC offset, and TERA/early-retirement adjustments. Only one retired-pay system applies to you based on your service entry date. This is not financial advice. Confirm every figure with DFAS.
The BRS combines a reduced pension multiplier (2.0%) with automatic and matching TSP contributions up to 5%. Ideal for members who may not serve a full 20 years.
The traditional military pension uses a 2.5% multiplier against the average of your highest 36 months of base pay. Available to members who entered service before January 1, 2018.
Based on 2026 active duty pay tables for E-5 through O-10
Project your TSP balance with government matching and compound growth
Understand SBP costs and how they affect your net retirement income
See how VA disability compensation interacts with retirement pay
Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay calculations
Compare BRS and High-3 outcomes to make informed decisions
Active duty members become eligible for retirement after 20 years of creditable service. Under BRS, you receive 40% of your High-3 base pay at 20 years, increasing 2% per additional year. Under the legacy High-3 system, you receive 50% at 20 years, increasing 2.5% per year. Both systems provide annual COLA adjustments, though BRS uses a reduced COLA formula with a catch-up at age 62.
Members medically retired with fewer than 20 years receive either a percentage-based or disability-based calculation, whichever is higher. The calculator accounts for all these scenarios.
Free, no sign-up required. Compare BRS vs High-3, layer in VA disability and state tax, and email yourself a copy.
BRS (Blended Retirement System) gives a 2.0% multiplier per year of service plus TSP matching up to 5%. High-3 gives a 2.5% multiplier per year on the average of your highest 3 years of base pay, with no TSP match. Service members who joined after January 1, 2018 are auto-enrolled in BRS; earlier members had a one-time election in 2018.
Most retirees see VA disability offset military retirement pay dollar-for-dollar (CRDP/CRSC eligibility varies). For 50%+ rated retirees with 20+ years, Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) eliminates the offset. The calculator shows total monthly income including VA disability — use it to plan, then verify with DFAS.
Most states fully exempt military retirement pay from state income tax; several more partially exempt it or apply income or age limits, and a handful still tax it as regular income. The rules change year to year, so we keep the current state-by-state details on our State Value Calculator and military retirement tax guide, verified against each state's Department of Revenue. This calculator applies an estimated state tax based on the state you select — confirm your state before relying on the figure.
SBP costs 6.5% of your retirement check and pays your spouse 55% of your retirement if you die. Most financial planners recommend it if you have a healthy spouse who would lose income — term life insurance is rarely cheaper for a 50+ retiree. The calculator shows your retirement net of SBP cost so you can see the trade-off.