About DRS
The Department of Retirement Systems serves a diverse population of more than 330,000 Washington public employees, including firefighters, teachers and police officers.
Led by Kathryn Leathers and supported by the DRS Advisory Committee, DRS administers one of the most complex public retirement systems in the country, comprising 15 plans across eight individual retirement systems. We also administer the state’s Deferred Compensation Program.
Mission
- We empower public workers to retire with confidence by providing timely information, trusted expertise, innovative tools and payment of benefits they’ve earned.
Vision
- Every customer enjoys financial security and success.
Values
- Integrity
- Customer focus
- Community
- Collaboration
- Adaptability
Membership (as of quarter ending June 30, 2026)
- 370,420 active members – working and contributing to the plans
- 247,131 annuitants – retirees, beneficiaries and others who receive monthly payments
- 320,492 inactive members – left employment but are not yet receiving payments
Financial (as of fiscal year ending June 30, 2025)
- $217.9 billion held in retirement trust fund assets
- $5.6 billion collected annually in contributions from members and employers
- $8.9 billion paid annually in benefits and contribution refunds
Organizational
- 275 employees
- $90.6 million budget
- Created in 1976
The Department of Retirement Systems acknowledges and honors the land we are on today as the ancestorial and traditional territory of the Coast Salish people, including the Nisqually, Squaxin Island, and Puyallup Tribal Nations, under the Treaty of Medicine Creek, signed on December 26, 1854. We respect their tribal sovereignty and express deep gratitude for their stewardship of this land. We also seek to learn from and build authentic, meaningful relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of Washington State.
See more about public pensions in Washington.
