Q. I am a Postal Service level 21 employee, and will retire with about 41 years and 11 months in early 2013 with my high-3 close to my frozen level 21 value. When I retire, I will have been detailed to a level 23 position for about a year and a half, with a modest increase in pay during that time. Will the Office of Personnel Management use only my level 21 pay for annuity calculations or will the detail/higher level pay be considered?
A. A high-3 is based on the highest three consecutive years of average salary from which retirement deductions are taken. If retirement deductions were taken out of your pay while you were detailed to a level 23 position, it would be included in your high-3.
