BRS vs. High-36: Military Retirement Pay Compared

Retirement planning guide • Updated October 2, 2026

The Blended Retirement System and legacy High-36 use different pension multipliers. A pension comparison helps explain that difference, but it does not capture the full value of BRS.

Compare the monthly pension formulas

For these two plans, the pay base uses an average of the highest 36 months of monthly basic pay. Allowances are excluded.

The same pay base, two examples

With an illustrative $5,000 monthly pay base and 20 creditable years, High-36 produces $2,500 a month in gross retired pay. BRS produces $2,000 a month. That is a $500 monthly difference in this pension-only example, before taxes, offsets and deductions.

BRS includes more than the pension

BRS also includes a defined-contribution component through the Thrift Savings Plan. Account balances, contributions, investment performance and withdrawals can change a person’s total retirement resources. A comparison that looks only at pension dollars leaves that component out.

Retirement Ready models the monthly defined-benefit pension. It does not project your TSP balance, continuation pay or a BRS lump-sum election. Bring those items into your broader planning separately.

Use the plan recorded for your service

The app’s plan selector is for estimating the rules that apply to you. It does not enroll you in a plan or determine whether you can change plans. Verify your retirement coverage and creditable service through official records before comparing scenarios.

Add benefits and deductions consistently

Use the same service, pay base, VA award and deductions when comparing pension formulas. Otherwise, a changed input can look like a difference between plans. Gross retired pay is rounded down to whole dollars; the app retains cents for compensation and entered deductions.

See the High-36 worked example and the guide to VA offsets for the next pieces of the breakdown.