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FY 2020 Salary Limit & FY 2021 Contribution Rate Memo
In its annual meeting on May 15, 2019, the TRS Board of Trustees adopted maximum salary increases for fiscal year 2020 along with the employee and employer contribution rates for fiscal year 2021.
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Published: May 29, 2019
Salary Limitations
In a TRS board meeting held on June 24, 2020, the TRS Board of Trustees adopted the following maximum salary increases for FY 2021 that can be used by the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS) to compute a member’s highest two-year average salary
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Published: July 1, 2020
FY2021 Annual Membership Statements Are Available
Active members may now access their membership statements online via their TRS account. The statements provide valuable account information, such as an account balance, the lump-sum value of an account, estimated projections, as well as beneficiary and service credit information.
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Pension Limitations
When calculating and paying retirement benefits, Georgia law and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations place certain limitations on salary earned, salary increases received, and retirement payments received.
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Published: September 27, 2021
Pension Limitations
When calculating and paying retirement benefits, Georgia law and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations place certain limitations on salary earned, salary increases received, and retirement payments received.
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Published: October 7, 2021
Verifying/Reporting TRS Retirees
Verifying and Reporting TRS Retirees
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Published: October 7, 2021
Important Updates About Your 2021 Benefit!
Happy 2021 retirees and we hope that this year is off to a great start! You may have noticed a difference in your January, 2021, benefit.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: January 5, 2021
Published: January 5, 2021
Limitations to Using Sick Leave
Unused sick leave credit is allowed for Georgia teaching service. Eligible service includes withdrawn and repurchased Georgia teaching service as well as service purchased or transferred from local retirement plans.
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Event Suggestion
Can’t find your employer in the Calendar of Events?
Help us identify which county/employer we should visit next by contacting us.
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Furloughs and TRS Earnable Compensation
Current economic conditions and reduced revenue collections due to the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in employers planning for reducing budgets in FY 2021 by several methods such as furloughs, salary reductions and reductions of contracted work days, which will have an impact on the amount of earnable compensation to be reported to TRS
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Published: June 5, 2020
Working After Retirement
All employment as a teacher, whether directly or indirectly (i.e. independent contractor, private temporary company, etc.) with a TRS employer is subject to salary and service limitations as outlined in Georgia law and TRS policy.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 20, 2021
Published: September 20, 2021
Allowable Employment – Service Retirees
All employment as a teacher, whether directly or indirectly (i.e. independent contractor, private temporary company, etc.) with a TRS employer is subject to salary and service limitations as outlined in Georgia law and TRS policy.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 28, 2021
Published: September 28, 2021
2021 TRS Year End Recap with Dr. L.C. “Buster” Evans
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Tags: Retiree
Published: December 3, 2021
Published: December 3, 2021
Allowable Employment – Disability Retirees
If you retired on a disability retirement, Georgia law imposes salary limitations on disability retirees.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 28, 2021
Published: September 28, 2021
2021 Retiree Underwithheld Federal Income Tax Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
If you are a TRS retiree with federal income tax withholding for January and February that was lower than the appropriate amount for your monthly benefit, please refer to the frequently asked questions below to find answers about the issue and resources available to you.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 28, 2021
Published: September 28, 2021
Board of Trustees' Sets:
In its annual meeting held today, May 11, 2022, the Board of Trustees adopted the following maximum IRS Salary Limits that can be used by the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS) to compute a member’s highest two-year average salary
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Historical Rates
Employer & Member Contribution Rates & IRS Salary Limits
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Published: October 6, 2021
Retirement Plans Offered
TRS offers a defined benefit plan of retirement, also known as a 401(a). As its name implies, your retirement benefit is “defined” by calculation using your years of membership service, the average of your highest 24 consecutive months of salary*, and a 2% multiplier.
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Published: September 16, 2021
Determining Your Retirement Benefit
Your retirement benefit is calculated by using the percentage of salary formula. Simply stated, two percent is multiplied by your years of creditable service, including partial years (not to exceed 40 years).
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Name Changes in Retirement
In the event your name changes during retirement, you must mail in the following to TRS: a letter requesting the name change, signed with your new name, along with documentation (marriage certificate, divorce decree, etc.) verifying the name change.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 28, 2021
Published: September 28, 2021
Allowable Sick Leave Usage and Attendance Incentive Programs
Employers should notify TRS of all sick leave policies in use for compliance with Georgia law. System policies must be consistent for all employees.
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Published: October 6, 2021
2022 Federal Income Tax Withholding Rates
TRS processed January 2022 monthly retirement benefits using the federal income tax withholding rates for 2021, the federal rates publicly available at the time. The IRS released the 2022 rates in the second half of December, after the deadline for timely payment processing.
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Published: January 27, 2022
TRS Awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA)
The Teachers Retirement System of Georgia is pleased to announce that the annual comprehensive report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, received the GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
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Published: July 11, 2022
Part Time Hourly and Salaried
A TRS retiree who retired on a service retirement may return to work as a teacher on a less than half-time basis. If working less than half-time, the hourly rate or salary cannot exceed 49% of the compensation that would normally be paid to you if you worked on a full-time basis in the position.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 28, 2021
Published: September 28, 2021
Contractual Employment
If you are engaged in an independent contracting relationship, or employed by a private entity doing business with a TRS covered employer in a position which would normally be held by a teacher as determined by the Board of Trustees, your compensation is limited to one half of the average annual compensation used to calculate your retirement benefit or your final salary at the time of your retirement, whichever is greater.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 28, 2021
Published: September 28, 2021
How TRS Benefits You!
Your retirement plan is a defined benefit plan which requires contributions from you and your employer, is determined by a formula based on your years of service and/or age and your final average salary, and will be paid to you throughout your lifetime.
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Calculating Your Benefit
Your retirement benefit is calculated by using the percentage of salary formula. Simply stated, two percent is multiplied by your years of creditable service, including partial years (not to exceed 40 years).
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TRS Membership Specifics
As a reporting employer to TRS, you are instrumental in ensuring Georgia’s educators are properly enrolled in TRS, and that their salary and TRS contributions are properly remitted to us each month.
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Published: October 7, 2021
Pension Calculator
The TRS pension calculator is an educational tool designed to help members, who are more than 5 years from retirement, estimate their monthly benefit for service retirement. You may use this calculator far in advance of your retirement to help you develop your personal retirement strategy by experimenting with various retirement scenarios.
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Published: September 3, 2021
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding COVID-19
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding COVID-19 and Teachers Retirement System for Members, Retirees, and Employers
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Publications
Review our annual reports, actuarial valuations and miscellaneous publications.
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I’m Ready to Retire
Well in advance of your date of retirement, we recommend you contact TRS for a retirement benefit estimate and to discuss the various plans of retirement. If you are considering retiring within the next two years, we recommend that you speak with one of our retirement counselors.
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: September 27, 2021
Published: September 27, 2021
Unused Sick Leave Credit at Retirement
At retirement, TRS members can establish credit for unused sick leave earned with current and previous TRS employers. If you haven’t been saving your sick leave up until now, you really should start. The more unused sick leave days you have at retirement, the earlier you can retire and the larger your monthly benefit.
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Published: September 27, 2021
Disability Retirement
A TRS member who is mentally or physically disabled, and who has an active account and at least 10 years service credit is eligible to apply for disability retirement. The inability to satisfactorily perform one’s current work duties, due to health reasons, is the major factor in determining ‘disability.’
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Out of State Service
After completing six years as a contributing member of TRS, you may establish one year of credit for service rendered in a public educational institution of another state. With the completion of each additional year of Georgia service thereafter, you may establish an additional year of out-of-state service, to a maximum of ten years.
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Earnable Compensation
Earnable compensation is defined as the full regular compensation payable to a member for full normal working time.
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Published: October 6, 2021
Hiring TRS Retirees
Retired members of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS) have the ability to be employed on either a full or part-time basis under certain terms and conditions.
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Published: October 6, 2021
Unused Sick Leave Credit at Retirement
At retirement, TRS members can establish credit for unused sick leave earned with current and previous TRS employers. If you haven’t been saving your sick leave up until now, you really should start. The more unused sick leave days you have at retirement, the earlier you can retire and the larger your monthly benefit.
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Published: October 7, 2021
Legislation
The Teachers Retirement System of Georgia administers its benefits and programs in accordance with applicable state and federal law, and administrative rules. Title 47 of the Official Code Georgia (O. C. G. A.) assigns the authority to establish and amend the provisions of TRS to the State Legislature. State law outlines specific details for state retirement systems, including vesting periods, employee contribution rates, benefit formulas, and retirement eligibility.
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Privacy Policy
Welcome to the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia’s (TRS) website (the/this “Site”). Please read this visitor agreement and terms of service; by visiting and using this Site, you accept the following terms:
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Published: August 27, 2021
Investment Committee Meeting
Upcoming board and/or committee meetings information and agenda(s).
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Plan B
Plan B provides members with 6 survivorship options: Option 1 allows you to possibly leave a lump-sum payment, but no monthly benefit, to a beneficiary(ies) after your death; and Options 2-4 allow you to provide a continuing monthly benefit to a beneficiary(ies) after your death.
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Published: September 17, 2021
Annual Member Statement
Since your employer remits your retirement contributions to TRS, we provide you with the opportunity to review your annual member statement online at any time by logging into your account. You should carefully review your statement at least yearly and report any discrepancies to TRS.
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Published: September 27, 2021
Life Changes
Events, or life changes, occurring during the course of your TRS membership may necessitate you contacting our office to report beneficiary changes or name changes.
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Published: September 27, 2021
Service Credit Accrual and Purchase
‘Service credit’ is defined as the number of months and/or years of service you have earned toward retirement. You accrue service credit each month you work in a TRS covered position.
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Start Retirement Planning
The short answer is now! If you are already asking yourself questions about preparing for your financial future, it’s time to start planning!
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Designating a Contact Person to Work with TRS
When designating contact persons, you can name one staff member to serve as the contact for more than one TRS division; however, two staff members cannot share one contact position.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
State of Georgia Employment
If you were previously a member of the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia (ERS) and withdrew your funds, you may establish this service with TRS. You are eligible to purchase your ERS withdrawn service after you have completed the required number of years of active TRS membership.
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How and When to Use Sick Leave
To have your unused sick leave credited toward your retirement you must complete the member section of the Sick Leave Certification Form during the online retirement application process.
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Reporting Contact and Address Changes
To report a contact change or an address change for your organization, please log on to the employer desktop and update your information through the employer contact information link.
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Published: October 7, 2021
TRS Launches New Website
The Teachers Retirement System of Georgia is pleased to announce the launch of our new website!
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Published: April 30, 2018
Shining the Light on Your TRS Beneficiary
At all stages of your career, it is very important to keep your TRS beneficiaries updated. The beneficiaries you select for your TRS account are different than beneficiaries selected at open enrollment and the information in your TRS account supersedes information in will, divorce decrees, etc.
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Published: September 20, 2022
Mid-Career Half-Day Seminar @ UGA Center for Continuing Education and Hotel
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Tags: Mid-Career
Published: June 23, 2023
Published: June 23, 2023
Mid-Career Half-Day Seminar @ Middle Georgia State University
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Tags: Mid-Career
Published: August 3, 2023
Published: August 3, 2023
Board Meeting Minutes
The TRS Board of Trustees meet six times a year at the TRS office in Atlanta. Meeting minutes for items discussed during open session are provided below:
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Published: September 18, 2021
Contribution Rates
TRS employer and employee contribution rates from fiscal year 1980 to present
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Published: October 6, 2021
Your TRS Representative
View a list of employers and their TRS assigned representative
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Published: October 7, 2021
Welcome, Active Members!
TRS administers the fund from which teachers in the state’s public schools, many employees of the University System of Georgia, and certain other designated employees in educational-related work environments receive retirement benefits.
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How Contributions Work
In order to successfully plan for your retirement, you need to understand how contributions are made to your TRS account. Your pension is funded by 3 sources: member contributions, employer contributions, and investment earnings.
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At 40 Years of Service
If you have at least forty years of service credit, you may elect to discontinue your contributions to TRS, as 40 years is the maximum number of years your retirement calculation can be based upon. Per Georgia law, this election is irrevocable.
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Hello, Mid-Career Members!
You have been an educator for several years now, but you still have a number of years remaining before you can fully plan your retirement. However, now is the perfect time to acquaint yourself with specific details regarding your forthcoming TRS pension benefit.
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Tags: Mid-Career
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
Hello, Pre-Retirement Members!
Congratulations! Retirement is very near for you! We at TRS are ready to guide you through the retirement process, ensuring all your questions are answered, and that you can retire on the date you select!
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
Suspending or Terminating Benefit Payment
If you return to work in a position that does not allow you to continue receiving your monthly benefit payment, you will have the choice to terminate or suspend your retirement.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
Maximizing Your Benefit
As a member of TRS, the amount you contribute is determined by law, so you may not increase your contribution amount in an effort to increase your retirement benefit.
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Tags: Mid-Career
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
Public School Employees Retirement Credit
If you have been a member of the Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) and your duties have changed so that you are now a manager or supervisor and are now eligible for membership in TRS, you may be eligible to establish credit for service rendered in a public school system prior to the date you became a member of TRS.
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Study Leave
You may be eligible to establish retirement credit for periods of full-time graduate study.
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Visiting Scholar Credit
A maximum of two years of service as a visiting scholar at a public college or university may be established as service credit by members who were granted a leave of absence from a unit of the University System of Georgia for such purpose.
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Workers Compensation Disability
You may be eligible to establish retirement credit for a temporary disability caused by a job-related disease or accident. The maximum period is twelve months and must be applied for within six months of returning to service following the temporary disability.
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Additional Compensation Information
In addition to earnable compensation listed under Compensation and TRS Contributions, leadership employees’ contracts may include additional components that are considered earnable compensation for TRS purposes
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Published: October 6, 2021
Suspending or Terminating Retirement
If a TRS retiree returns to work in any capacity other than what is listed above as acceptable employment, he or she may work one-half time or greater in a TRS-covered position and either suspend or terminate his or her retirement benefit.
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Published: October 7, 2021
Your Responsibilities
As an employer in the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia, we know that you want the best for your employees.
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Published: October 7, 2021