Your Membership Category & Tier
When you join SCERS, you’re assigned a membership category and a benefit tier. These determine:
- When you can retire
- How your retirement benefit is calculated
- What rules and limitations apply to your membership
Membership Categories
SCERS has two membership categories:
- Miscellaneous Members: Most SCERS members fall into this category. It includes administrative, professional, technical, and support roles across SCERS-covered employers.
- Safety Members: This category includes sworn law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other job classifications designated as public safety. Safety members are subject to slightly different formulas and eligibility rules due to the nature of their work.
Your employer determines which jobs fall under each category based on state law.
What Is a Tier?
Your tier reflects when you joined SCERS and what benefit structure applies to you. It affects things like:
- Retirement age and eligibility
- Benefit formula and age factors
- Whether your benefit is calculated using your highest 12 or 36 months of pay
Why Are There Different Benefit Tiers?
SCERS has differing benefit levels, or “Tiers,” within each Membership Category, based on a member’s Participating Employer and date of hire or re-hire in employment. Your Benefit Tier determines how your retirement benefit is calculated and the maximum annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) you may receive after retirement.
Benefit tiers are established by the state Legislature and adopted by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. The Board of Retirement administers those benefit provisions – SCERS does not establish benefit formulas.
Over time, these laws have changed in response to economic conditions, workforce needs, and pension reform efforts. As a result, different tiers apply depending on when you were hired and first became a member of the retirement system. Earlier tiers generally reflect more generous benefits approved by the Legislature, while later tiers reflect changes made under pension reform laws to manage long-term costs and ensure the sustainability of the retirement system.
Retirement Eligibility by Category and Tier
|
Tier |
Category |
Hire Date |
Earliest Retirement Age |
Age at Maximum Benefit Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tier 1 |
Miscellaneous |
On or before 9/26/1981 |
50 |
62 |
|
Tier 2 |
Miscellaneous |
Between 9/27/1981 and 6/26/1993 |
50 |
62 |
|
Tier 3 |
Miscellaneous |
Between 6/27/1993 and 12/31/2011 |
50 |
62 |
|
Tier 4 |
Miscellaneous |
Between 1/1/2012 and 12/31/2012 |
50 |
65 |
|
Tier 5 |
Miscellaneous (PEPRA) |
On or after 1/1/2013 |
52 |
67 |
|
Tier 1 |
Safety |
Before 6/25/1995 |
41* |
50 |
|
Tier 2 |
Safety |
Between 6/25/1995 and 12/31/2011 |
41* |
50 |
|
Tier 3 |
Safety |
Between 1/1/2012 and 12/31/2012 |
41* |
55 |
|
Tier 4 |
Safety (PEPRA) |
On or after 1/1/2013 |
50 |
57 |
*Safety Members with at least 20 years of service credit in a Safety classification are eligible to retire as early as age 41.
Legacy vs. PEPRA Members
Under California law, your hire date determines whether you are classified as a Legacy or Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) member:
|
If you were first hired… |
You are likely a… |
|---|---|
|
Before January 1, 2013 |
Legacy Member (Tiers 1–4 for Miscellaneous, Tiers 1-3 for Safety) |
|
On or after January 1, 2013 |
PEPRA Member (Tier 5 for Miscellaneous, Tier 4 for Safety) |
Key Differences by Tier
|
Feature |
Legacy Members |
PEPRA Members |
|---|---|---|
|
Final Compensation Period |
12 or 36 months (depending on tier) |
36 months |
|
Compensation Limits |
Subject to IRC 401(a)(17) limits |
Subject to state PEPRA cap |
|
Contribution Rates |
Set by SCERS and labor agreements |
Must pay at least 50% of plan’s normal cost |
|
Retirement Age |
Lower minimum ages and more favorable age factors |
Higher retirement ages, slower benefit accrual |
Not Sure What Tier You’re In?
Your employer assigns your tier automatically based on your hire date and job classification. You can find your assigned tier in your:
- MySCERS Portal
- SCERS Annual Member Statement
- Benefit estimate
- By contacting your HR department or SCERS
Your tier will guide how your benefit is calculated and when you’re eligible to retire.