New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) vs Maryland State Retirement & Pension System
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) (C) and Maryland State Retirement & Pension System (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 52% and 72% 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
Maryland State Retirement & Pension System has a stronger Pension Health Score of 67/100 (B) compared to New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 19.8 percentage points (72.1% vs 52.3%). Maryland State Retirement & Pension System covers 398,000 participants.
| Metric | New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) | Maryland State Retirement & Pension System |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 54/100 (C) | 67/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 52.3% | 72.1%* |
| Total Assets | $34.0B | $61.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $65.0B* | $84.6B |
| Unfunded Liability | $31.0B | $23.6B* |
| Participants | 425,000 | 398,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.1% | 5.8%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of New Jersey | State of Maryland |
Maryland State Retirement & Pension System has a stronger Pension Health Score of 67/100 (B) compared to New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 19.8 percentage points (72.1% vs 52.3%). Maryland State Retirement & Pension System covers 398,000 participants.