Benefits

Whether you're interested in academics, research, or a better work/life balance, you'll find the VA has a lot to offer, including the unmatched satisfaction you'll get from caring for those who have served our country. In addition to competitive pay and liability protection, the VA also offers a robust benefits plan that includes:

          

Paid Time Off:

  • 208 Hours paid annual (vacation/personal) leave – you can carry over up to 86 days into a new year
  • 104 Hours paid sick leave per year with unlimited carry over! Unused sick leave can be used to extend creditable service time at retirement! 
  • 10 Paid federal holidays with pay
  • Possible 5 Days paid Authorized Absence to attend CME

Insurance:

  • Health Insurance: VA employees have an outstanding number of health insurance plans from which to choose (premiums are partially paid by VA)
  • Dental & Vision: Our insurance options also include exceptional vision and dental plans (premiums are partially paid by VA)
  • VA employees have the option to use Flexible Spending Accounts, which allow you to use tax-free dollars to pay for medical, dental, and vision care expenses that are not reimbursed by your health insurance plan
  • Term life insurance, family, and additional coverage options are available with the cost shared by the Federal Government.
  • Long-term care insurance is available as an option

Federal Retirement Plan:

  • VA employees are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS is a three-tiered retirement plan composed of 1) Social Security benefits; 2) FERS-FRAE basic benefits (pension); and 3) Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) which is a 401K-type plan
  • How is the pension funded? VA employees hired after January 1, 2014 automatically contribute 4.4% of their salary each pay period and the VA contributes 8.3% of the employee's salary each pay period for a total annual contribution percentage equal to 12.7% of the employee's salary
  • Similar to the 401(k) savings plans widely available in the private sector, the TSP allows employees to tax defer a portion of their income each year, subject to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service. For calendar year 2016, employees under the age of 50 may contribute up to $18,000, while those over age 50 are eligible to make catch-up contributions that allow them to defer up to $24,000
  • The Federal Government also provides an automatic basic contribution (1% of salary) and up to 4% of salary in matching contributions, depending on the amount of the employee contribution
  • For retired military personnel, these benefits are in addition to full monthly retirement pay or pension
  • In addition to FERS, VA provides health care insurance coverage for retired personnel
  • Disability Retirement
  • Employees are vested in a federal pension after only 5 years' service