Alaska Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) vs Alaska Teachers Retirement System (TRS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Alaska Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) (B) and Alaska Teachers Retirement System (TRS) (C) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 68% and 62% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Alaska Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 66/100 (B) compared to Alaska Teachers Retirement System (TRS) at 57/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 5.6 percentage points (67.8% vs 62.2%). Alaska Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) covers 38,000 participants.
| Metric | Alaska Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) | Alaska Teachers Retirement System (TRS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 66/100 (B)* | 57/100 (C) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 67.8%* | 62.2% |
| Total Assets | $7.2B | $5.1B |
| Total Liabilities | $10.6B | $8.2B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $3.4B | $3.1B* |
| Participants | 38,000 | 27,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.4%* | 5.2% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | high |
| Sponsor | State of Alaska | State of Alaska |
Alaska Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 66/100 (B) compared to Alaska Teachers Retirement System (TRS) at 57/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 5.6 percentage points (67.8% vs 62.2%). Alaska Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) covers 38,000 participants.