Will My Pension Replace My Paycheck?
On its own, probably not entirely — but this is actually one of the more calculable questions on this whole roadmap. It comes down almost entirely to one number: your years of service.
💬 GLP Retirement MinuteThe Direct Math
Remember the pension formula — FAC × factor × years? When you turn that into a percentage of your final pay, something interesting happens: your salary cancels out of the equation entirely. What's left is just your factor times your years of service.
| Years of Service | Replaces (at 1.5% factor) | Replaces (at 1.25% factor) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 years | 15% | 12.5% |
| 20 years | 30% | 25% |
| 25 years | 37.5% | 31.25% |
| 30 years | 45% | 37.5% |
| 35 years | 52.5% | 43.75% |
| 40 years | 60% | 50% |
Notice that even a full 40-year career only replaces 50–60% of your final paycheck from the pension alone. This isn't a flaw specific to you or a sign anything went wrong — it's just what the formula produces for everyone on these plans. It's also exactly why the next two sections of this roadmap (Social Security and Supplemental Savings) aren't optional reading.
This shows the pension-only replacement ratio — it doesn't include Social Security, which adds meaningfully on top for most members. And if you're on Pension Plus or Pension Plus 2, this table only reflects your smaller DB slice; your separate savings account adds to this in a way that isn't captured here at all.
Use the Pension Calculator with your real FAC and years of service.
See Will I Get Social Security? and What Is the Retirement Income Gap? to build out the fuller picture beyond pension alone.
The single biggest lever you have over this number is years of service — not salary, not which specific plan you're on. If you're early in your career, that's actually useful information: every additional year worked moves this percentage in a real, calculable way.