[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″ el_class=”section section1″][vc_column_text]Working with the federal government means that at some point you’ll have to retire according to the regulations put forth. So, are you thinking of retiring from your job? What’s your current age? What’s the typical retirement age for most employees? These are some of the common questions that every federal employee planning to retire should ask themselves. It will enable you to make the right decision and take the necessary measures when the time comes. Retirement comes with a lot of obligations so don’t be in a rush to avoid missing some crucial details.
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Recent research showed that Asian federal employees often take longer before going for retirement than any other racial/ethnic categories. The retirement trend varies from one race to another and is mainly influenced by the rules and regulations put in place by the federal government. Also, the average age of the working population has a significant influence on when people retire. This is because if the community is mainly made up of the older generation rather than the youth, then the retirement age will be relatively higher to increase productivity.
However, across all races, something remains constant, and that is women retire earlier than men. It is almost noticeable that older men stay active and can continue working for much longer than women, so it’s quite understandable. Kentucky records the earliest employee retirement closely followed by Hawaii.
Average Retirement Age for Federal Employees
The following is the latest OPM report of the average age of people retiring from the federal government from 2015-2017 fiscal years.
| Fiscal Year | Average Age |
| 2015 | 61.3 |
| 2016 | 61.7 |
| 2017 | 61.8 |
Women Retire Earlier Than Men
On average women tend to retire earlier than men according to the latest reports
| Gender | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| Female | 61.1 | 61.5 | 61.7 |
| Male | 61.5 | 61.8 | 61.9 |
The average retirement age for women increased from 61.1 in the 2015 fiscal year to 61.7 in the 2017 fiscal year while that of men raised by 0.4 in the same span of time. It shows the difference between the retirement age of women to that of men. A man spends a longer time in the workforce than a woman.
Average Retirement Age by Race/Ethnicity
Race/ethnicity is a very diverse topic, and different rules apply in different ethnic groups. Also, aging varies from one to the other hence the difference in retirement ages.
| Ethnicity/Race | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| American Indian/ Alaskan Native | 61.6 | 62.3 | 62.1 |
| Asian | 63.8 | 63.9 | 63.8 |
| Black | 60.9 | 61.4 | 61.6 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 60.3 | 60.5 | 60.6 |
| White | 61.4 | 61.7 | 61.8 |
| Two or More / Other | 59.9 | 60.7 | 61.4 |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 62.4 | 62.4 | 62 |
State Differences
The average retirement age varies from one state to the other. Kentucky has the lowest retirement age of all the other countries; 61 years. Hawaii on the other end records the highest federal retirement age.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”34350″ img_size=”292×285″ style=”vc_box_shadow”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
