Pension Obligation Calculator
Estimate total pension liability, unfunded obligations, and annual required contributions for public pension plans.
Inputs
Results
Total Pension Obligation
$116,534,157.00
≈ 277 average U.S. homes
Unfunded Liability
$29,133,539.00
≈ 69 average U.S. homes
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the number of Active Members, Average Salary, and Benefit Multiplier (% per year of service).
- Enter Average Service Years and the current Funded Ratio percentage.
- Review Total Pension Obligation and Unfunded Liability as key fiscal indicators.
- Check Annual Required Contribution to understand the ongoing budgetary commitment.
- Use the analysis to communicate pension sustainability risks to governing boards and the public.
How the result changes with Active Members
| Active Members | Total Pension Obligation | Unfunded Liability |
|---|---|---|
| 100,001 | $23,307,064,408.00 | $5,826,766,102.00 |
| 350,001 | $81,574,142,759.00 | $20,393,535,690.00 |
| 650,000 | $151,494,403,711.00 | $37,873,600,928.00 |
| 900,000 | $209,761,482,061.00 | $52,440,370,515.00 |
What each input means
- Active Members
- Number of active pension plan members
- Average Salary ($)
- Average annual salary of active members
- Benefit Multiplier (%)
- Percentage of salary per year of service (typically 1.5-3%)
- Avg Service Years
- Average years of service at retirement
- Funded Ratio (%)
- Current plan funded ratio. Healthy is 80%+.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersActive Members = 500, Average Salary ($) = 55000, Benefit Multiplier (%) = 2, Avg Service Years = 20 = 5 input(s) provided
- Calculate Total Pension ObligationTotal Pension Obligation116534157 = $116,534,157
- Calculate Unfunded LiabilityUnfunded Liability29133539 = $29,133,539
- Calculate Annual Required ContributionAnnual Required Contribution2347767 = $2,347,767
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.
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