Minimum earnable salary amount increases

Members must earn at least $721.44 for a full month of pension service credit

By Michael Pramik, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System

Jan. 11, 2024 – Minimum earnable salary is the amount that OPERS members must earn each month to qualify for pension service credit, or service credit applicable to health care program eligibility. Your total service credit is a key component of the formula we’ll use to determine your retirement benefit.

The minimum amount that OPERS members in the Traditional Pension and Combined Plans must earn each reporting month to qualify for a full month of service credit for pensions will increase by 1.75 percent each year between 2020 and 2029.

In 2024, members must earn at least $721.44 for a full month of pension-eligible service credit. If members earn less than that amount, their service is prorated so they earn partial service credit for that reporting period.

To earn a full month of service credit applicable to health care program eligibility, members participating in the Traditional Pension and Combined Plans must earn a minimum of $1,000 per reporting month, and partial service credit is not available for health care.

Only the following service credit types apply toward health care program eligibility:

• Contributing service (which includes plan change service credit)
• Eligible Ohio Retirement System service combined at retirement
• Interrupted military time (USERRA)
• Unreported public service
• Redeposit (refunded/restored) service

Please note that “monthly” credit might not match up with a calendar month if a pay period straddles two months.

Members of the OPERS Traditional Pension Plan can use our Benefit Estimator through the online account to see how much credit you’ve earned, or will earn, for both pension and health care eligibility.

Michael Pramik

Michael Pramik is communication strategist for the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and editor of the PERSpective blog. As an experienced business journalist, he clarifies complex pension policies and helps members make smart choices to secure their retirement.