Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) (B) and Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) (C) are close on the PensionRisk rubric. Funding ratios sit at 75% and 63% 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
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 70/100 (B) compared to Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) at 57/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 12.0 percentage points (75.1% vs 63.1%). Virginia Retirement System (VRS) covers 740,000 participants.
| Metric | Virginia Retirement System (VRS) | Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 70/100 (B)* | 57/100 (C) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 75.1%* | 63.1% |
| Total Assets | $87.0B | $36.2B |
| Total Liabilities | $115.8B | $57.4B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $28.8B | $21.2B* |
| Participants | 740,000 | 245,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 6.0%* | 5.4% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | high |
| Sponsor | State of Virginia | State of Pennsylvania |
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 70/100 (B) compared to Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) at 57/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 12.0 percentage points (75.1% vs 63.1%). Virginia Retirement System (VRS) covers 740,000 participants.
Explore More
Related Comparisons
- Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Raytheon Company Pension Plan for Salaried Employees
- Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Sheet Metal Workers National Pension Fund
- Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Boeing Company Employee Retirement Plan
- Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Northrop Grumman Pension Plan
- Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) vs Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS)
- Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) vs Philadelphia Municipal Retirement System
- Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) vs US Steel Corporation Plan for Employee Pension Benefits
- Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) vs Alcoa Corporation Retirement Plan