As a member of SERS, you are part of a statewide community of more than 159,000 school professionals – administrative assistants, bus drivers, business officials, cafeteria workers, crossing guards, custodians, librarians, maintenance workers, and teacher’s aides – working in jobs for Ohio’s public schools and community colleges.
Now that you are a SERS member, we encourage you to take an active role in planning for your retirement. As a public employee in the state of Ohio, you do not pay into Social Security and do not earn qualified service toward Social Security. In place of Social Security, you contribute 10% of your pay to SERS in return for a lifetime pension, which is earned after meeting certain age and service requirements.
If you do not work in a SERS-covered job long enough to meet the age and service requirements to receive a pension, the money in your account can be refunded. However, keeping it might be a smart choice if you return to a public service job in the future. Your time can be combined with other public service time. You also can purchase service time if you previously worked in another public service job; but remember, the longer you wait, the more it costs.
This video takes you through a variety of topics that will be relevant throughout your membership with SERS.
We discuss contributions, service credit, and the benefits of being a SERS member.
A SERS pension alone may not provide all the income you need to live comfortably during retirement. While having a SERS pension provides a solid foundation for retirement security, having other sources of retirement income is necessary for most people to pay for basic needs. No matter if you are 18 or 48, the sooner you begin planning, the more financially secure you’ll be when your working career ends.
We encourage you to set up an online account using the Account Login feature. Account Login provides the ability to:
Many people put off retirement planning because it seems too complicated and takes too much time. While many companies offer supplemental plans, Ohio Deferred Compensation is a good place to start. It has been designed specifically for public employees, and offers a variety of plan choices.
SERS is more than just a retirement plan; we offer disability coverage too. After five years of service, you are eligible for disability coverage. Disability is granted where a person is unable to perform job duties due to an injury or illness confirmed by an independent medical examination.
Again, we are pleased that you are a member of SERS. If you have any questions about your SERS retirement account or benefits, please contact us.
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