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Equable OriginalWhile just 46.6% of public workers are served well by their retirement plans, full-career workers are in a much better position. The Retirement Security Report, Second Edition (2025) finds that employees who spend 20 or more years in the same public retirement system are far more likely to achieve adequate and dependable retirement income.
The report’s analysis of nearly 2,000 state and local retirement plans shows that while most benefit designs struggle to support mobile or short-tenure workers, a subset of plans still perform exceptionally well for those who complete a full public career.
The plans in the tables below earned perfect scores for full-career workers, reflecting strong income replacement, effective inflation protection, and benefit structures aligned with long-term retirement security.
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OPEN PERFECT SCORE PLANS | LEGACY PERFECT SCORE PLANS
Open Perfect Score Plans for Full-Career Workers
wdt_ID Plan_Name Plan_Type Score
1
Arizona Corrections Officers Retirement Plan - Defined Contribution Plan
defined contribution plan
1
2
Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System - Defined Contribution Plan
defined contribution plan
1
3
Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System - Defined Contribution Plan
defined contribution plan
1
4
Arizona State Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
5
Arizona State Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
6
Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
7
Arkansas Teacher Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
8
Arkansas Teacher Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
9
Arkansas State Highway Employees Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
10
Arkansas Local Police and Fire Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
Plan_Name Plan_Type Score
| wdt_ID | Plan_Name | Plan_Type | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona Corrections Officers Retirement Plan - Defined Contribution Plan | defined contribution plan | 1 |
| 2 | Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System - Defined Contribution Plan | defined contribution plan | 1 |
| 3 | Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System - Defined Contribution Plan | defined contribution plan | 1 |
| 4 | Arizona State Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 5 | Arizona State Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 6 | Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 7 | Arkansas Teacher Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 8 | Arkansas Teacher Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 9 | Arkansas State Highway Employees Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 10 | Arkansas Local Police and Fire Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| Plan_Name | Plan_Type | Score |
Legacy Perfect Score Plans for Full-Career Workers
wdt_ID Plan Name Plan Type Score
1
Arizona Corrections Officers Retirement Plan - Tier 2
traditional pension plan
1
2
Arizona Corrections Officers Retirement Plan - Tier 1
traditional pension plan
1
3
Arizona Corrections Officers Retirement Plan - Tier 2
traditional pension plan
1
4
Arizona State Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
5
Arizona State Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
6
Arizona State Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
7
Arizona State Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
8
City of Phoenix Employee Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
9
Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
10
Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System
traditional pension plan
1
Plan Name Plan Type Score
| wdt_ID | Plan Name | Plan Type | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona Corrections Officers Retirement Plan - Tier 2 | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 2 | Arizona Corrections Officers Retirement Plan - Tier 1 | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 3 | Arizona Corrections Officers Retirement Plan - Tier 2 | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 4 | Arizona State Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 5 | Arizona State Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 6 | Arizona State Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 7 | Arizona State Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 8 | City of Phoenix Employee Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 9 | Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| 10 | Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System | traditional pension plan | 1 |
| Plan Name | Plan Type | Score |
