Membership is a benefit and a very important part of your financial future—the MTRS is your retirement plan.
What requirements must I meet in order to become a member of the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System?
You are eligible to join the MTRS if you are employed as a teacher or administrator in a Massachusetts public school outside the City of Boston or in any educational collaborative in Massachusetts and:
- you are covered by a contractual agreement regarding your employment;
- you are employed on at least a half-time basis;
- you are certified by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; and,
- your contractual agreement requires that you be certified by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a condition of your employment.
Directors of educational collaboratives and charter schools are also eligible for membership.
Do I have to become a member of the MTRS?
If you meet the eligibility requirements stated above, yes.
How much am I required to contribute?
You are required to contribute a set percentage of your salary through regular payroll deductions.
Your contribution rate is established by the Commonwealth’s retirement law (Chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws) and is determined by the date on which you most recently became eligible for membership in a Massachusetts contributory retirement system and from which you continuously maintained your funds on account. Most of our members will establish membership in a contributory retirement system on the date they start working as a public employee in Massachusetts.
If membership in the MTRS is required, your employer will deduct the mandated percentage from your regular compensation and forward your contributions to the MTRS for deposit in your annuity savings account, pursuant to M.G.L. c. 32.
| If you established your current "effective membership date" with your membership in: | Your contribution rate is... |
|---|---|
| The Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System... | |
| Before January 1, 1975* | 5% |
| January 1, 1975 through December 31, 1978* | 7% |
| January 1, 1979 through December 31, 1983* | 7% + 2% on earnings over $30,000 |
| January 1, 1984 through June 30, 1996* | 8% + 2% on earnings over $30,000 |
| July 1, 1996 through June 30, 2001* | 9% + 2% on earnings over $30,000 |
| July 1, 2001 through April 1, 2012 | 11% (mandatory RetirementPlus) |
| April 2, 2012 and after | 11% (mandatory RetirementPlus); after 30 years of service, your contribution rate will be decreased by 3% |
| Another Massachusetts contributory retirement system, and later transferred into the MTRS... (i.e., before joining the MTRS, you established membership in a MA contributory retirement system OTHER than the MTRS and, when you joined the MTRS, your funds on account with your prior MA retirement system were transferred to the MTRS) | |
| |
| 11% (RetirementPlus) |
| Your contribution rate with your prior MA contributory retirement system, based on your membership date |
| |
| 11% (RetirementPlus) |
| Your contribution rate with your prior MA contributory retirement system, based on your membership date |
*If your effective membership date is before July 1, 2001 and, during the initial RetirementPlus election period (which ended on June 30, 2001), you made an affirmative election to participate in RetirementPlus, your contribution rate is 11%.
How can I check my contribution rate?
Look at your pay stub. Divide the amount of your retirement withholding by your gross income, and then refer to the contribution chart. For example, if your enrollment date is January 2, 1979 and your salary is $35,000, your total contribution would be 7% of $35,000 plus 2% of $5,000. The 2% contribution does not apply to RetirementPlus participants.
If your contribution rate is not correct, confirm your calculation with your payroll office and then contact the MTRS. Note: If the 2% contribution also applies, be sure it appears on your pay stub.
If I was formerly a member of a Massachusetts contributory retirement system and I withdrew my funds, can I now “buy back” that service and enter the MTRS at my earlier—and lower—contribution rate?
No. While you may “buy back” that time in order to increase the total amount of your creditable service, your buy-back does not entitle you to your earlier contribution rate. You may purchase service time only, not the benefit of the lower rate.
Why do I have to pay a 1.45% Medicare tax?
If you were hired on or after April 1, 1986, you are required to pay a 1.45% Medicare tax. While this does not earn you any Social Security “credits,” it does entitle you to Medicare coverage at age 65 if you have paid this tax for at least 10 years.