Participation is mandatory for eligible employees - click here to determine participation eligibility.

Enrollment in the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System (TSERS) is mandatory. As part of your in-processing, an employee number will be assigned. You will receive notification from your NCAOC Benefits Specialist asking you to log on to the ORBIT System using your employee number to activate your personal account and designate a beneficiary(ies). You will be able to activate your account after your first contribution made (after you receive your first pay).

Six percent (6%) of your gross monthly salary will be deducted from your check on a tax deferred basis. This is a mandatory contribution. The Judicial Branch also contributes towards employees' retirement benefits. The Judicial Branch contribution varies as necessary to meet the obligations of the system. The employee and employer contributions are not credited to a member's individual account, but are placed in the various trust funds for the payment of specific benefits (e.g., Disability Income Plan).

As an employee, you are eligible for a monthly retirement benefit once you attain certain age and service requirements. Under current law, you become vested after five years of membership. This means that if you work until the qualified age/service requirement or leave State service and leave your contributions in the system, you will be eligible to receive a reduced retirement benefit at age 50 and 20 years of credit, or at age 60 with five years of membership. You may retire with an unreduced benefit at age 65 with five years of membership, or at age 60 with 25 years of credit, or at any age with 30 years of credit.

Under current law, if you were first hired prior to October 1, 2006, and retire with five or more years of State System membership service, the State will pay either all or most of the cost, depending on the plan chosen, for your individual coverage under one of the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) health plans. Based on the conditions described above, if you were first hired on or after October 1, 2006, in order to receive individual coverage at no cost, you must retire with 20 or more years of retirement service credit; if you have 10 but less than 20 years of retirement service credit, you will have to pay 50 percent of the cost of your coverage, and with five but less than 10 years, you will have to pay the full cost.

If you leave the System for any reason other than retirement or death, you can receive a refund of your contributions or leave your contributions in the System and keep all creditable service you earned to that date.

For more information about TSERS, visit the Retirement System website. Among many useful resources to be found there are the TSERS New Hire Welcome Kit and retirement benefits Member Handbook.