Your CalPERS Pension
Bus drivers. Custodians. Cafeteria workers. Instructional aides. Office staff. The people who make schools function every single day. When it comes to retirement planning this group is almost always an afterthought in our industry. Not here.
As a classified school employee you are part of CalPERS, the California Public Employees' Retirement System and the largest public pension system in the country. CalPERS serves more than 700,000 school members.
Like CalSTRS your CalPERS pension is a defined benefit. Your retirement income is calculated by a formula based on your age, years of service, and final compensation. It is a guaranteed lifetime income regardless of how long you live. That is genuinely valuable and increasingly rare.
If you joined after January 1, 2013 you are under PEPRA, the 2013 pension reform act that introduced lower benefit levels compared to longer tenured colleagues. Nearly 68% of active CalPERS members now fall under this newer formula. It is worth understanding exactly what you are entitled to and how to make the most of it.
Estimate Your CalPERS Pension
Take a look at our interactive calculator to get an estimate of what your pension might look like.
Social Security. A Key Advantage Over Teachers
Most classified school employees do pay into Social Security through their CalPERS covered employment. That means at retirement you will have both a CalPERS pension and Social Security coming in. That is a real advantage. Two guaranteed income streams.
Not every classified position pays into Social Security. A small number of districts and job classifications are Social Security-exempt, so it is worth confirming what has actually been withheld from your own paycheck rather than assuming based on your job title.
But coordinating them effectively takes planning. Claiming Social Security at the wrong time can cost you tens of thousands of dollars over a long retirement. We help you figure out the right strategy for your specific situation.