United States Office of Personnel Management 

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency 

Benefits Administration Letter 

Number: 22-303 Date: January 2022 

Subject: Federal Employee Benefits Cost Factors for 

Calculating Imputed Costs, Fiscal Year 2022 

This letter provides the fiscal Year (FY) 2022 cost factors for the Federal 

civilian benefit programs. Agencies will use these factors to calculate their 

imputed costs relating to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), the 

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), the Federal Employees 

Health Benefits Program (FEHB) and the Federal Employees’ Group Life 

Insurance Program (FEGLI). The imputed costs are used to determine the 

actuarial liabilities which are included in Governmental financial statements. 

Benefits Administration Letter (BAL) 03-309, dated September 15, 2003, 

provides detailed instructions for the computation and accounting for 

imputed costs related to the Federal civilian benefit programs. 

Cost Factors 

Pensions 

The economic assumptions used to calculate the FY 2022 cost factors under 

Statement of Federal Financial Accounting Standard (SFFAS) 33: Pensions, 

Other Retirement Benefits, and Other Postemployment Benefits: Reporting 

the Gains and Losses from Changes in Assumptions and Selecting Discount 

Rates and Valuation Dates are based on a 10-year historical average. These 

economic assumptions differ from those established by OPM under guidance 
Benefits Administration Letter 22-303 

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from the CSRS Board of Actuaries for the determination of certain statutory 

funding payments for CSRS and FERS. 

The FY 2022 cost factors for all categories of CSRS coverage are enclosed. 

While agency payments under CSRS are not affected by the CSRS normal 

cost percentages for most agencies, the CSRS normal cost percentages 

determined under SFFAS 33 are used to determine the actuarial liabilities 

which are included in the governmental financial statements. 

The FY 2022 cost factors reported in this BAL differ from the normal cost 

percentages used to determine the employer contributions agencies pay for 

FERS employees. The cost factors for all categories of FERS coverage are in 

the enclosed. Since the cost factors reported under SFFAS 33 are 

determined on a different basis than the actual FERS normal cost 

contributions, agencies should expect to continue to report future imputed 

retirement costs for their FERS employees. 

FEHB Program 

OPM is providing the FEHB cost factors for the United States Postal Service 

as well as the cost factors for the remainder of the Government in this letter. 

For FY 2022, the Non-Postal cost factor is $8,775 and the Postal cost factor 

is $9,754 per enrolled employee. Please note that the cost factors shown 

below are based on the actuarial assumptions required by SFFAS 33, as 

calculated by the FEHB actuary. 

Non-Postal 

Quarter Factor 

1

st $2,158 

2

nd $2,182 

3

rd $2,206 

4

th $2,229 

FY 2022 $8,775 
Benefits Administration Letter 22-303 

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Postal 

Quarter Factor 

1

st $2,399 

2

nd $2,425 

3

rd $2,452 

4

th $2,478 

FY 2022 $9,754 

FEGLI Program 

The FY 2022 cost factor for the FEGLI is 0.02 percent of basic pay, the same 

as in previous years. 

Statement for Auditors 

The FY 2022 cost factors provided in this letter are being issued before an 

opinion by OPM’s independent public accounting firm can be received for FY 

2022. Nonetheless, the FY 2022 cost factors for “regular” CSRS and FERS 

coverage, as well as those for the FEHB and FEGLI Programs are consistent 

with the disclosures in the footnotes accompanying OPM’s consolidated FY 

2021 financial statements. These statements received an unqualified audit 

opinion. The policies, procedures and controls pertaining to the calculations 

of the FY 2022 cost factors did not change from FY 2021. Consequently, 

auditors of FY 2022 financial statements can rely upon the disclosures in 

Office of Personnel Management’s FY 2021 financial statements and the 

related audit opinion. 

Please email any questions regarding this BAL to FinancialBALs@opm.gov. 

Sincerely, 

Sherri D. Jordan 

Associate Chief Financial Officer 

Enclosed 
Benefits Administration Letter 22-303 

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FY 2022 Cost Factors for the CSRS and FERS 

CSRS 

Category Cost Factor (%) 

Regular Non-Postal 46.2% 

Regular Postal Service 39.2% 

Regular Offset Non-Postal 34.4% 

Regular Offset Postal Service 27.7% 

Law Enforcement Officers 75.2% 

Law Enforcement Officers – Offset 63.9% 

Air Traffic Controllers 61.6% 

Air Traffic Controllers – Offset 52.3% 

Members of Congress 49.7% 

Members of Congress – Offset 45.5% 

Congressional Employees 62.7% 

Congressional Employees – Offset 51.3% 

FERS 

Category Cost Factor (%) 

Regular Non-Postal 19.7% 

Regular Postal Service 17.5% 

Law Enforcement Officers 40.8% 

Air Traffic Controllers 40.7% 

Members of Congress 26.7% 

Congressional Employees 27.9% 

Military Reserve Technicians 23.3% 
Benefits Administration Letter 22-303 

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FERS – Revised Annuity Employees (RAE) 

Category Cost Factor (%) 

Regular Non-Postal – RAE 20.2% 

Regular Postal Service – RAE 18.1% 

Law Enforcement Officers – RAE 41.4% 

Air Traffic Controllers - RAE 41.3% 

Military Reserve Technicians - RAE 23.7% 

FERS – Further Revised Annuity Employees (FRAE) 

Category Cost Factor (%) 

Regular Non-Postal – FRAE 20.4% 

Regular Postal Service – FRAE 18.4% 

Law Enforcement Officers – FRAE 41.5% 

Air Traffic Controllers - FRAE 41.4% 

Military Reserve Technicians - FRAE 23.9%