Working In Retirement (MSRB)

Guidelines to employment after retiring from state service

Working for State or Local Government

If you have received a superannuation retirement benefit for at least one full calendar year, the limits to working in the public sector have been raised.

Limitations include:

  1. If you go back to work in city, town, county, municipal, or state government in Massachusetts, in each calendar year you can now earn the difference between the current salary of the position you retired from and your pension. After being retired one full calendar year you may earn the difference plus an additional $15,000;
  2. Rules pertaining to the maximum 1,200 hours certain retirees can work in a calendar year also apply. For example, if the current salary of the position you retired from is $40,000 and your pension is $20,000 per year, you would be able to earn up to $35,000 per calendar year or work up to 1,200 hours, whichever comes first.

As a retiree, you must cease employment whenever either one of the above two conditions are met. If you are at your allowable limit and wish to continue working, then you must waive your retirement allowance.

Post-Retirement Limits on Employment for Disability Retirees

Separate earnings limitations apply to members who receive a Disability retirement allowance. For more information click here.

Private Sector Employment

There are no earnings limitations for superannuation retirees who work in the private sector.
However, Chapter 21 of the Acts of 2009 added additional limitations to private sector employment. Specifically, if you are directly employed, are an independent contractor, or a consultant for a private sector employer, and your duties consist of providing direct service to the Commonwealth, you are subject to the limitations listed above. Refer to Chapter 21, Section 21 of the Acts of 2009.

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