Employer Contributions

Your employer also contributes to SCERS on your behalf. These contributions are not tied to your individual account, but are essential to funding the retirement system.

How It Works

• SCERS calculates employer contribution rates annually based on investment performance, demographic trends, and funding targets.
• Employer contributions are pooled to help fund current and future retirement benefits for all SCERS members; they are not held in individual members’ accounts.
• Employer contributions are never distributed to a member as part of the member’s withdrawal of contributions.

Key Facts

• Employer contributions are typically larger than what individual members contribute over a full career. 
• These funds remain with SCERS permanently to maintain long-term system sustainability. 
• If you terminate all employment with all Participating Employers prior to retirement and elect to withdraw your Member Contributions, you will not receive any of the retirement contributions your employer paid to SCERS based on your pension-eligible compensation.