MRA Chart
FERS minimum retirement age chart
A plain-English MRA chart for FERS planning, with links back to the calculator and MRA+10 guidance.
Short answer
Your FERS minimum retirement age depends on birth year and helps frame MRA+10 and other timing questions, but it does not decide eligibility by itself.
This chart is educational. Confirm official retirement eligibility with OPM guidance and your agency benefits office.
Last reviewed 2026-04-25
What MRA means
Minimum retirement age, or MRA, is the earliest age many FERS employees can use for certain retirement paths. It depends on birth year.
MRA matters for MRA+10 planning, postponed retirement decisions, and several timing conversations. It does not by itself mean every retirement option is available.
How to use the chart
Find your year of birth, then note the matching MRA. Use that age as one planning input, not as a complete eligibility decision.
The calculator can organize the scenario, but official eligibility still depends on service history, retirement type, and current rules.
Example: born in 1968
A person born in 1968 has an MRA of 56 and 8 months under the chart. That age may be relevant when testing MRA+10 timing.
The next step is not to stop at the chart. Add service history, planned retirement date, and high-three salary estimate before reviewing which retirement path appears to fit.
FERS minimum retirement age by birth year
| Birth year | Minimum retirement age |
|---|---|
| Before 1948 | 55 |
| 1948 | 55 and 2 months |
| 1949 | 55 and 4 months |
| 1950 | 55 and 6 months |
| 1951 | 55 and 8 months |
| 1952 | 55 and 10 months |
| 1953 to 1964 | 56 |
| 1965 | 56 and 2 months |
| 1966 | 56 and 4 months |
| 1967 | 56 and 6 months |
| 1968 | 56 and 8 months |
| 1969 | 56 and 10 months |
| 1970 and after | 57 |