Updated October 30, 2026. Quick answer: Under the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia, normal retirement age is the earlier of age 60 with 10 years of creditable service or 30 years of creditable service at any age. A member vests at 10 years. Early retirement is available at any age once a member has 25 years of creditable service, with a cut of 7% for each year before 60 or under 30 years, whichever is less, and never more than 35%.
The three plans
“three primary defined benefit structures have been created in ERS”. The guide’s chart assigns the plan mainly by when a person became an ERS member (the Old Plan for membership before July 1, 1982, the New Plan from July 1, 1982 through December 31, 2008, and GSEPS from January 1, 2009), with continuous-employment, rehire and election rules, so check the chart before assuming a plan.
Normal retirement
The guide says normal retirement age is the earlier of two things: “the attainment of age 60 and 10 years of Creditable Service” or “the attainment of 30 years of Creditable Service”. For certain law enforcement positions the guide gives age 55 and 10 years.
Vesting
“Once you earn 10 years of Creditable Service, you have a vested right to a service retirement at age 60, even if you terminate employment before reaching age 60.” “If you terminate employment after attaining 10 years of service, but prior to age 60, you will be eligible to start drawing a retirement benefit once you reach age 60.”
Early retirement
“you can commence Early Retirement benefits at any age before your Normal Retirement Age once you have attained 25 years of Creditable Service.” The reduction: “reduced by either 7% for each year you are commencing benefits prior to age 60, or 7% for each year under 30 years of Creditable Service you have earned, whichever reduction is less. The reduction cannot exceed 35%.”
What the pension is based on
New Plan: “Benefit Formula Factor always equals .02”, and the formula is “Formula Salary x .02 x Creditable Service = Maximum Plan Benefit”. GSEPS: “The Benefit Formula Factor always equals .01, making the benefit formula: Formula Salary x .01 x Creditable Service = Maximum Plan Benefit”. “Under GSEPS, Formula Salary is the average of the highest 24 consecutive calendar months of Earnable Compensation while an ERS Member.”
A worked example with invented numbers
Take an invented New Plan member with 25 years of creditable service, at normal retirement age (the unreduced maximum plan benefit, before any early retirement cut or survivor option). That is 25 years at .02, or 50% (computed) of a final average salary of $60,000 (invented, for the computation), which comes to $30,000 a year (computed).
Now take an invented GSEPS member with 25 years of creditable service, on the same basis. That is 25 years at .01, or 25% (computed) of a final average salary of $60,000 (invented, for the computation), which comes to $15,000 a year (computed).
What the documents do not say
The guide is updated 7/2018 and may not reflect later law changes. It states the retirement and early retirement text once for all three plans, so the plans differ here mainly in the benefit factor; the guide also notes minor differences in Formula Salary between the plans and other plan-specific service rules that this page does not summarize. The Old Plan factors by years of service are in a table and are not copied. A GSEPS rule that disregards large late-career salary increases for later hires is not summarized. The Peach State Reserves 401(k), disability and death benefits are not covered.
Common mistakes
- Starting early benefits before 25 years. The guide sets 25 years of creditable service as the earliest point.
- Applying both 7% cuts together. The guide takes whichever reduction is less, and caps it at 35%.
- Using age 60 for certain law enforcement positions. The guide gives age 55 with 10 years for those.
Related: Georgia ERS retirement decisions, the Georgia ERS COLA for 2027, how public pension decisions work, and whether Georgia taxes pensions.
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Answer againSources
- Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia, ERS Old Plan, New Plan, GSEPS Plan Guide: www.ers.ga.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 410, Pensions and annuities: www.irs.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 411, Pensions: the General Rule and the Simplified Method: www.irs.gov
Read from the primary documents linked above on October 30, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer or the IRS itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.