Most Texas public school teachers do not pay into Social Security through their teaching jobs. They pay into the Teacher Retirement System of Texas instead, a state pension that takes the place of federal coverage. A small number of Texas school districts have opted into Social Security alongside TRS, and teachers in those districts pay both taxes. If you earn Social Security credits through other work or a spouse’s record, a January 2025 federal law repealed the two provisions that used to cut those benefits for teachers.
What You Pay Into TRS
Texas teachers contribute 8.25% of eligible compensation to TRS each pay period. The deduction is pre-tax and forwarded by the employer directly to the pension fund.1Teacher Retirement System of Texas. Member Contributions The rate is set by the Texas Legislature and has held at 8.25% since the 2019–2020 fiscal year.2Teacher Retirement System of Texas. Reporting Contribution Rates FY2018-Present For comparison, the Social Security payroll tax that private-sector workers pay is 6.2%.3Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 751, Social Security and Medicare Withholding Rates
The state and your district contribute too. For the 2025–2026 fiscal year, Texas pays 8.25% of each member’s compensation into TRS, and the employing district adds 2%.2Teacher Retirement System of Texas. Reporting Contribution Rates FY2018-Present What you get in return is a guaranteed monthly annuity in retirement, calculated from your years of service credit and your salary history rather than a federal formula. You can check your service credit total through the MyTRS member portal or your annual statement.4Teacher Retirement System of Texas. Service Credit
Because TRS replaces Social Security, your teaching job does not add credits to your federal Social Security record.
Districts That Pay Into Both TRS and Social Security
A small number of Texas school districts have voluntarily entered Section 218 Agreements with the Social Security Administration, which bring their employees under Social Security coverage.5Social Security Administration. Social Security Act 218 – Voluntary Agreements for Coverage of State and Local Employees If you teach in one of these districts, both deductions come out of every paycheck: 8.25% to TRS and 6.2% to Social Security. That is a bigger hit on take-home pay, but you accumulate a standard Social Security earnings history alongside your state pension.
Your pay stub is the fastest way to tell. If you see a Social Security or OASDI line item, your district participates. If you are unsure, ask payroll or human resources. Once a district enters a Section 218 Agreement it is stuck with it: under the 1983 Social Security Amendments, no such agreement can be terminated.5Social Security Administration. Social Security Act 218 – Voluntary Agreements for Coverage of State and Local Employees
Social Security From Outside Work
Plenty of Texas educators earn Social Security credits outside the classroom. Summer jobs, part-time work, a side business, or a career before or after teaching all count if the employer withholds Social Security tax. You need 40 credits to qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, and you can earn up to four per year.6Social Security Administration. Social Security Credits In 2026, one credit takes $1,890 in covered earnings, so $7,560 in a calendar year gets you the full four.7Social Security Administration. Quarter of Coverage
Until recently, teachers who did qualify often saw those benefits cut. The Windfall Elimination Provision reduced a teacher’s own Social Security benefit, and the Government Pension Offset reduced or wiped out spousal and survivor benefits, both because the teacher was drawing a TRS pension from non-covered work. The Social Security Fairness Act, signed January 5, 2025, repealed both provisions. The repeal is retroactive to January 2024, so no benefit paid since then has been reduced by either rule.8Social Security Administration. Social Security Fairness Act – Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) The statutory home of the WEP, 42 U.S.C. § 415(a)(7), was formally struck from the law.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 415 – Computation of Primary Insurance Amount
What that means in practice: the Social Security benefit you earned from outside work is now paid at the full formula, and a spousal or survivor benefit from your husband’s or wife’s record is no longer offset by your TRS pension.
If You Are Already Retired or Never Applied
If you were already receiving a reduced Social Security benefit, the SSA began adjusting monthly payments in early 2025 and is issuing one-time lump-sum payments covering the difference back to January 2024.8Social Security Administration. Social Security Fairness Act – Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO)
If you never applied because you assumed the WEP or GPO would leave you with nothing, apply now. The standard rule on retroactive benefits still applies: retirement and survivor applications can generally be backdated only six months before the month you file.8Social Security Administration. Social Security Fairness Act – Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) The Fairness Act did not create a special extended lookback, so every month you wait is a month of potential benefit you will not recover.
Medicare Is a Separate Question
Not paying into Social Security does not necessarily mean you skip Medicare tax. State and local government employees hired after March 31, 1986 are generally subject to the 1.45% Medicare Hospital Insurance tax even if they do not participate in Social Security.3Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 751, Social Security and Medicare Withholding Rates Those quarters count toward Medicare Part A. You need 40 quarters of Medicare-covered employment to qualify for premium-free Part A at age 65.
Teachers who fall short can still enroll and pay a premium. In 2026, people with 30 to 39 quarters pay $311 per month, and those with fewer than 30 quarters pay the full $565 per month.10CMS. 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles At the full rate that is close to $6,800 a year, so check your quarter count well before 65. A spouse with 40 quarters can also qualify you for premium-free Part A on their record.
Checking Both Sides of Your Record
Your retirement picture lives in two files. On the federal side, create a my Social Security account to pull your statement, which shows your covered earnings history, credits accumulated, and estimated benefits.11Social Security Administration. Get Your Social Security Statement Since the WEP repeal, the estimate on your statement should reflect your full, unreduced amount. On the state side, your TRS annual statement lists years of service credit, reported salary by school year, and an unaudited benefit estimate. Reviewing both once a year is the simplest way to know what you are actually going to receive.