Teachers' Pension Calculator
Calculate your Teachers' pension scheme benefits with year-by-year projections and early retirement options.
Tax year 2026/27 ·
Get a quick estimate using your average salary and total years in the scheme. Perfect for a rough idea of your pension.
About the Teachers' Pension Scheme (post-2015)
- • Accrual rate: 1/57 of pensionable pay each year
- • Active member bonus: 1.6% per year while contributing
- • Revaluation: CPI + 1.6% annually
- • Normal Pension Age: State Pension Age (66-68)
- • Lump sum: Trade up to 30/7 of annual pension
Read our complete guide to Teachers' pension contributions and benefits →
How this calculator works
Each scheme year the calculator adds pensionable pay × 1/57 to your
pension. Earned pension is revalued every April by the previous September's CPI
plus 1.6% while you remain an active member (we use published ONS CPI figures for
past years and an adjustable assumption, default 2.5%, for future years).
Retiring before your Normal Pension Age applies a permanent early-payment reduction (about 5% per year early); exchanging pension for a lump sum uses the scheme's £12 : £1 commutation rate.
- Estimates only the career average scheme — final salary (pre-2015) benefits and McCloud (2015 Remedy) choices are not modelled.
- Assumes continuous active membership (deferred members' revaluation differs).
- Does not model faster accrual elections, additional pension purchases, or phased retirement.
Sources
- Teachers' Pensions — scheme guides — accrual rate, revaluation, contribution tiers
- ONS — Consumer Prices Index — September CPI figures used for revaluation
- GOV.UK — State Pension age — Normal Pension Age is linked to State Pension Age
Full formulas and worked examples for every calculator are on our methodology page.
Frequently asked questions
- How is the Teachers' pension calculated?
- The Teachers' Pension Scheme (career average, post-2015) banks 1/57th of your pensionable pay as annual pension each year. While you remain an active member, your banked pension is revalued every April by CPI inflation plus 1.6%.
- What is the normal pension age for teachers?
- For the career average scheme, your Normal Pension Age equals your State Pension Age — typically 66 to 68 depending on your date of birth. You can take your pension earlier (from age 55, rising to 57 from April 2028), but it is actuarially reduced.
- Can teachers take a tax-free lump sum?
- Yes. You can exchange part of your annual pension for a tax-free lump sum at retirement, at a rate of £12 of lump sum for every £1 of annual pension you give up.
- What are the teacher pension contribution rates?
- Teachers' contributions are tiered by salary, ranging from 7.4% to 11.7% of pensionable pay — higher earners pay higher rates. Check the current tier boundaries on the Teachers' Pensions website, as they are uprated each April.
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