BRS Calculator: Blended Retirement System vs High-3
Under High-3, monthly retired pay is 2.5% x years of service x your High-3 average basic pay; under the Blended Retirement System (BRS) it is 2.0%, so with 20 years and a $6,000 High-3 average that is $3,000 a month under High-3 and $2,400 under BRS, a $600 difference. BRS adds government contributions to your TSP, 1% automatic plus matching up to 5% of basic pay in total: on $6,000 a month of basic pay and 5% of your own, that is $300 a month. At an assumed 5% annual return over a 20-year career at a constant $6,000 a month, the government contributions alone come to an estimate of about $106,893 at retirement (your own contributions are extra), an assumption and not a guarantee.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Statutes checked on November 7, 2026 · Methodology & sources
BRS vs High-3 calculator
Monthly retired pay, before taxes
- High-3 (2.5% per year): $3,000 a month
- BRS (2.0% per year): $2,400 a month
- Difference: $600 a month, $7,200 a year more under High-3
Estimated TSP balance from government contributions
$106,893
- Government adds 5% of basic pay once matching starts, about $300 a month in your last contributing month.
- $66,120 of contributions plus $40,773 of growth at the 5% annual return you assumed.
Gross monthly retired pay before taxes, Survivor Benefit Plan premiums and other deductions, rounded down to the dollar. VA disability compensation offsets retired pay unless you qualify for CRDP or CRSC.
The TSP figure is an estimate from the return you assume; it is not a guarantee, a forecast or advice, and actual returns can be lower or negative. It counts only government contributions from your years of service today to retirement, with no future pay raises.
BRS vs High-3: the pension formula
This Blended Retirement System calculator runs the two formulas side by side. 10 U.S.C. 1409(b)(1)(A) sets the retired pay multiplier at 2.5% x years of creditable service, and 1409(b)(4)(A)(i) substitutes 2% for 2.5% for a member under the modernized retirement system. At 20 years that is 50% of the High-3 average under High-3 and 40% under BRS. The pension numbers come from the same calculation as the military retirement pay calculator, which also covers REDUX, reserve and medical retirement and how the High-36 average is estimated.
The comparison needs 20 or more years of service. The length-of-service retirement sections this page read, 10 U.S.C. 7311 and 7314 for the Army and 9311 and 9314 for the Air Force and Space Force, start at 20 years (7314 and 9314 cover enlisted members for 20 to 30 years).
BRS TSP government contributions
5 U.S.C. 8432(c)(1)(A) has the government contribute 1% of basic pay, and 8432(c)(2)(B) matches all of the first 3% you contribute plus one-half of the next 2%. 5 U.S.C. 8440e(e)(2) caps the government amount at 5% of basic pay.
| Your contribution | Government contribution | On $6,000 of basic pay a month |
|---|---|---|
| 0% of basic pay | 1% of basic pay | $60 a month |
| 1% of basic pay | 2% of basic pay | $120 a month |
| 3% of basic pay | 4% of basic pay | $240 a month |
| 5% of basic pay | 5% of basic pay | $300 a month |
Under 5 U.S.C. 8440e(e)(3) the automatic contribution starts 60 days after you first enter service and the match starts after 2 years and 1 day, and both end when you complete 26 years of service. The calculator counts the first automatic contribution in your third month and the first match in your 25th month. Your own contributions are yours too, but they are not counted here; only the government amounts are.
The balance is an estimate, not a guarantee. The calculator grows the contributions at the annual return you type in, compounded monthly. Real TSP returns vary from year to year and can be negative, so change the assumption and compare. Pay comes from the 2026 DFAS table for your grade stepped by years of service, or the flat amount you enter, with no future raises. For your own contributions, funds and limits see the TSP calculator and TSP contribution limits.
Which one comes out ahead depends on years of service
The pension gap grows with years of service because both formulas multiply by years: each year adds 0.5% of your High-3 average, so the gap at 20 years is 10% of it and at 30 years 15%. The BRS TSP contributions, in contrast, stop at 26 years of service and depend on your own contribution rate, your pay and the return you assume. The calculator shows both numbers; it does not say which is better for you.
If you leave before 20 years, the pension comparison does not apply. 5 U.S.C. 8432(g)(1) says contributions are fully nonforfeitable when made except as otherwise provided; 8432(g)(2)(C) provides that the automatic 1% and its earnings are forfeited if a uniformed-service member separates before completing 2 years of service. Check your own TSP account and statements for what is vested in your case.
Who is under BRS. 5 U.S.C. 8440e(e)(1) covers a member who first entered a uniformed service on or after January 1, 2018, and a member who entered earlier, had fewer than 12 years of service as of December 31, 2017, and made the election described in 10 U.S.C. 1409(b)(4)(B). The election was open only from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018 (10 U.S.C. 1409(b)(4)(C)), apart from a few exceptions the statute lists, such as a hardship extension; members who first joined on or after January 1, 2018 are covered without an election. Everyone else stays under their earlier plan, such as High-3.
Lump sum option (10 U.S.C. 1415)
10 U.S.C. 1415 lets an eligible BRS member elect a lump sum equal to the discounted present value of 25% or 50% of retired pay from retirement until Social Security retirement age. In that period the monthly retired pay is 75% (for the 25% lump sum) or 50% (for the 50% lump sum) of the usual amount, and the full amount resumes after it. The election is due not later than 90 days before retirement, and the Secretary of Defense computes the discounted value, so this page does not estimate it.
Continuation pay
Continuation pay is a separate BRS cash payment, paid as a lump sum or in up to four payments, for members with 7 to 12 years of service who agree to 3 or more additional years of obligated service (37 U.S.C. 356). It is not in the figures above. See the continuation pay calculator for the multiples and rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BRS and High-3?
Both pay a monthly pension after a 20-year or longer career, computed as a multiplier x years of service x the average of your highest 36 months of basic pay. 10 U.S.C. 1409(b)(1)(A) sets the multiplier at 2.5% per year, and 1409(b)(4)(A)(i) substitutes 2% for a BRS member, so a 20-year BRS pension is 40% of the High-3 average instead of 50%. A BRS member gets government contributions to the TSP in exchange for the reduced multiplier (5 U.S.C. 8440e(e)(1)); High-3 has no such contributions.
How much does the government put into a BRS TSP account?
5 U.S.C. 8432(c) sets an automatic contribution of 1% of basic pay and a match of all of the first 3% you contribute plus one-half of the next 2%, up to 5% of basic pay in total (8440e(e)(2)). Contributing 0%, 1%, 3% or 5% of your own pay brings the government total to 1%, 2%, 4% or 5%. Under 5 U.S.C. 8440e(e)(3) the automatic contribution starts 60 days after you first enter service, the match starts after 2 years and 1 day, and both stop when you complete 26 years of service.
How does this calculator estimate the TSP balance?
It adds the government contribution for each month of service up to retirement and grows the balance at an annual return that you choose, compounded monthly. The default is 5%, an assumption for illustration only; actual TSP returns vary and can be negative. With $6,000 a month of basic pay and 5% of your own, held constant for 20 years, the estimate is about $106,893 on $66,120 of government contributions; your own contributions are not counted. It is not a guarantee or advice.
What if I leave before 20 years?
The pension comparison needs 20 or more years of service; the length-of-service retirement sections this page read, such as 10 U.S.C. 7314 for Army enlisted members and 9314 for Air Force and Space Force enlisted members, start at 20 years. The TSP side works differently: 5 U.S.C. 8432(g)(1) says contributions are fully nonforfeitable when made except as otherwise provided, and 8432(g)(2)(C) says the automatic 1% and its earnings are forfeited if a uniformed-service member separates before completing 2 years of service.
Who is under BRS?
5 U.S.C. 8440e(e)(1) covers a member who first entered a uniformed service on or after January 1, 2018, and a member who entered earlier, had fewer than 12 years of service as of December 31, 2017, and made the election under 10 U.S.C. 1409(b)(4)(B) to take TSP contributions in exchange for the reduced multiplier. That election was open only from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018 (10 U.S.C. 1409(b)(4)(C)), apart from a few exceptions the statute lists, such as a hardship extension; members who first joined on or after January 1, 2018 are covered without an election. Everyone else stays under their earlier plan, such as High-3. Check your own record with your service.
Can I take part of BRS retired pay as a lump sum?
10 U.S.C. 1415 lets an eligible BRS member elect a lump sum equal to the discounted present value of 25% or 50% of retired pay from retirement until Social Security retirement age. The member then receives 75% or 50% of the monthly retired pay in that period and the full amount after it. The election is due not later than 90 days before retirement, and the Secretary of Defense computes the discounted value, so this calculator does not estimate it.
What about continuation pay?
Continuation pay is a separate BRS cash payment, paid as a lump sum or in up to four payments (37 U.S.C. 356(e)), for members with 7 to 12 years of service who agree to 3 or more additional years of obligated service (37 U.S.C. 356). It is set as a multiple of monthly basic pay and is not included in the figures here; use the continuation pay calculator on this site for it.