{"id":25290,"date":"2022-12-05T10:01:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-05T10:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/12\/05\/how-is-high-3-basic-pay-calculated-for-retirement\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:57:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:57:42","slug":"how-is-high-3-basic-pay-calculated-for-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/fedlife\/retirement\/2022\/12\/05\/how-is-high-3-basic-pay-calculated-for-retirement\/","title":{"rendered":"How is \u2018High-3\u2032 basic pay calculated for retirement?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The following is a question submitted by a Federal Times readers about retirement and other issues facing the federal workforce. It is answered by Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service and a Federal Times columnist since 1995.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question<\/b>: Was told by RABAS estimated retirement received that I would only receive a portion of the January 2023 pay raise and step 10 increased because they both must be 12 months total before full credit is given. It certainly does not sound right to me. Am I correct about choosing 12\/29\/2023 to be the best day to retire?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reg\u2019s Response<\/b>: Of course it didn\u2019t sound right. What you were told is wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your high-3 will be based on your three consecutive years of basic pay, wherever they fall on the calendar. In other words, it will be based on 78 consecutive bi-weekly pay periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assuming that 12\/29\/2023 is the end of a pay period, It would be a good day to retire.<\/p>\n\n\n\t