CalSTRS has two Defined Benefit structures. If you first became a member before 1 January 2013, you are in 2% at 60; on or after that date, 2% at 62. You cannot choose or switch — but which one you are in changes your normal retirement age, how your final compensation is measured, and your maximum age factor, all of which should shape when you retire and how you plan the years before it. Confirm your structure in myCalSTRS rather than assuming.
How to read this page. This is a framework, not a recommendation. There is no answer here that fits everyone — only the inputs that drive your answer. Run the numbers with us, or run them on your own; either way, run them before you file.
Which structure you are in — and why you should verify it
The dividing line is your CalSTRS membership date, set by the 2013 pension reform law (PEPRA): first membership before 1 January 2013 places you in 2% at 60; on or after, in 2% at 62. The "2%" in both names is the age factor at the structure's normal retirement age — the percentage of final compensation you earn per year of service credit when retiring at 60 or 62 respectively. The factor is lower if you retire earlier and higher if you retire later, up to each structure's cap.
Do not assume from your hire date at your current district. Membership date, not current employment, controls — and refunds, breaks in service and returns can complicate it. Log in to myCalSTRS or check your annual Retirement Progress Report; your structure is stated there.
The differences, side by side
| 2% at 60 | 2% at 62 | |
|---|---|---|
| Applies to members who joined | Before 1 January 2013 | On or after 1 January 2013 |
| Normal retirement age | 60 | 62 |
| Earliest retirement | 55 with 5 years of service credit, or 50 with 30 years (reduced) | 55 (reduced) |
| Final compensation period | Highest 12 consecutive months with 25+ years of service credit; otherwise highest 36 (some members with fewer than 25 years have a bargained 12-month period) | Highest 36 months |
| Maximum age factor | 2.4% at 63 | 2.4% at 65 |
| Career factor | 30+ years of service credit adds 0.2% to the age factor, up to 2.4% | Not available |
| Compensation counted | CalSTRS rules | CalSTRS rules, plus the PEPRA cap on pensionable compensation (adjusted annually) |
Source: CalSTRS Your Retirement Guide 2026. Figures and terms above are structural descriptions per CalSTRS publications — confirm every number against your own myCalSTRS account and current CalSTRS materials before planning around it.
What each structure means for your planning
- The value of waiting is different. Both structures reward later retirement with a higher age factor, but they max out at different ages — 63 versus 65. The months between your earliest comfortable retirement date and your structure's maximum factor are exactly the months to model: each has a price (a year of salary and accrual traded against a year of benefit) and the trade is different in each structure.
- Final compensation strategy differs. A 12-month final compensation period (for qualifying 2% at 60 members) means a well-timed final-year assignment can move the benefit; a 36-month period averages that away. Either way, the years being counted deserve attention — and note that CalSTRS has rules against compensation spiking, so the strategy is timing real career moves, not manufacturing pay.
- 2% at 62 members should expect to save more alongside the pension. A later maximum, a 36-month average and the PEPRA compensation cap generally mean the pension replaces somewhat less income than a comparable 2% at 60 career. The 403(b) and 457(b) exist to close that gap — and reviewing what your 403(b) actually costs is often the highest-value hour we spend with a teacher.
- Every downstream decision keys off the structure. Retirement date, service credit purchases and survivor elections all price differently under each structure, because the age factor and final compensation rules feed all of them.
The people who get surprised
Members who left teaching, took a refund and later returned are the classic case. Under CalSTRS rules, if you were a member before 2013, terminated your membership and returned on or after 1 January 2013, you are still a 2% at 60 member. Whether to redeposit is a separate decision about restoring that service credit; get the cost from CalSTRS first.
Common questions
Common questions
Can I switch from 2% at 62 to 2% at 60?
No. The structure is set by your membership date under state law; it is not an election. The narrow questions worth asking CalSTRS are about your membership date itself — refunds, redeposits and breaks in service can affect what it is.
Which structure is 'better'?
2% at 60 is generally the more generous design — earlier maximum factor, the possibility of a 12-month final compensation period, a career factor — but since nobody chooses, the useful question is different: given your structure, what retirement date and savings plan make the most of it? That is modeling, and it is specific to you.
Where do I confirm my structure and my numbers?
myCalSTRS and your annual Retirement Progress Report, and a CalSTRS benefits counselor for anything ambiguous. We work from CalSTRS's own figures — we never substitute our own estimate of your benefit.
Model it before you file
These elections are permanent. We will run the arithmetic with you — your numbers, every scenario on one page — while they are still choices. Fee-only, fully disclosed, no products to sell you.