(We know that’s two, but let us explain)
When you join the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS), you’re assigned a tier based on the date of your membership. There are six tiers in the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) and five in the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) – so there are many different ways to determine benefits for our members. Our ongoing series, NYSLRS – One Tier at a Time, walks through each tier and gives you a quick look at the benefits the members are eligible for before and at retirement.
Today’s post looks at Tiers 3 and 4 in the Employees’ Retirement System. Now, we know these are technically two tiers, but many of the members in these tiers are eligible to retire under the same retirement plan: Article 14 (for Tier 3 members) or Article 15 (for Tier 3 and 4 members). Of our current 637,746 ERS members, 310,985 are in Tiers 3 and 4, representing 48.8 of ERS membership.
Check out the graphic below for the basic retirement information for Tier 3 and 4 members.

If you’re an ERS Tier 3 or 4 member, find your retirement plan publication from the list below for more detailed information about your benefits:
- Coordinated Plan for ERS Tier 3 and 4 Members (Articles 14 and 15) (VO1522)
- State Correction Officers and Security Hospital Treatment Assistants Plan For ERS Tier 3 Members (Article 14-CO) (VO1526)
- Sheriffs, Undersheriffs & Deputy Sheriffs For ERS Tier 3 and 4 Members (Article 14-B: Sections 551, 552 & 553) (VO1841)
Look for more NYSLRS – One Tier at a Time posts.