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Final Average Salary (FAS)

Final Average Salary (also called Final Average Compensation or FAC) captures your peak earning years rather than your career average. Federal employees use "High-3" (highest 36 consecutive months). Many state plans use "High-5" (highest 60 consecutive months). The FAS period is set by the plan document and cannot be changed by the participant.

Example

If your last 5 years of salary were $78K, $82K, $85K, $88K, $92K, your High-3 FAS would be ($85K + $88K + $92K) / 3 = $88,333 and your High-5 FAS would be $85,000.

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Pension Benefit Estimation

A defined benefit pension pays a guaranteed monthly income for life, calculated as: Years of Service × Final Average Salary × Benefit Multiplier. A typical 2% multiplier over 30 years replaces 60% of your final salary. Only 14% of private sector workers still have access to a pension (2025), but 86% of public sector workers do.