Pension Sense blog | June 18, 2025 | Melissa Jones-Ferguson

Just as there are phases in a person’s life—from birth to childhood, adolescence and beyond—there are phases in a California public educator’s career and post-retirement journey. Read on for insightful statistics that help paint a picture of the average life of our members*.

Starting a career

On average, members begin their teaching career and join CalSTRS at 30.6 years old.

Career length

Members who retire from CalSTRS accrue an average of 25.2 years of service credit before retiring.

Service credit is the accumulated number of years and partial years during which members work and contribute to the CalSTRS Defined Benefit Program. You can also purchase service credit under certain circumstances for employer-approved leaves of absence, such as maternity or paternity leave.

Service credit is included in your retirement benefit formula:  

Service credit x age factor x final compensation = Retirement benefit

Retirement age

The average retirement age is 63 years old. 

Living in retirement

Assuming a retirement age of 63, female members are expected to live 27.3 years after retiring, while male life expectancy is 24.9 years postretirement, based on CalSTRS’ most recent actuarial experience analysis.

Preparing for retirement

No matter where you are in your career, we offer a variety of tools to help you plan for your retirement.  Visit our benefits planning services page or read the Member Handbook to learn more.

Or visit one of our member service centers or local benefits planning offices for in-person customer service. You can also call us at 800-228-5453 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding state and federal holidays.

We’re proud to protect your financial future through our work and love learning more about the lifespans of you and your peers.

Explore other ways to connect with us at CalSTRS.com/contact.

*The statistics reflect members who retired during 2023–24 fiscal year.