Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS)

What Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) does

Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) is a state-chartered defined benefit pension system, established in 1962 and operating as a component unit of the State of Kansas. Headquartered at 611 S. Kansas Ave, Topeka, the system administers retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to Kansas public employees, including state workers, teachers under the Board of Regents, local government employees, public safety personnel (KP&F), and judges. It is governed by a Board of Trustees and led by Executive Director Alan Conroy, with a staff of 51–100 employees.

KPERS operates multiple plan tiers — KPERS 1 (members hired before July 1, 2009), KPERS 2 (hired on or after July 1, 2009), KPERS 3 (cash-balance plan for those hired on or after January 1, 2015), KP&F and KP&F-DROP for police and fire, and the Judges plan — supplemented by a voluntary KPERS 457 deferred compensation plan and optional life insurance. Member-facing technology consists of the mykpers online portal for account management and direct deposit administration, six plan-specific online benefit calculators (KPERS 1/2/3, KP&F, KP&F-DROP, Judges), downloadable forms and publications, and Vimeo-hosted educational webinars. The system also publishes a quarterly retiree newsletter, Vested Interest.

KPERS is funded by member contributions, employer contributions from participating Kansas state agencies, school districts, and local governments, and investment returns on the trust fund, which include a disclosed $285 million commitment to infrastructure and private equity. The organization generates no commercial revenue; participation is statutory for covered employee categories, and administrative costs are funded through the trust. Distribution occurs through employer-mediated enrollment, the self-serve member portal, in-person services at the Topeka headquarters, and a toll-free member contact center.

Name

Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS)

Legal name

Kansas Public Employees Retirement System

Website

https://kpers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) is a state-chartered defined benefit pension system administering retirement, disability, and survivor benefits for Kansas public employees — including state workers, teachers, public safety personnel, and judges — funded by member and employer contributions and managed from Topeka.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Pension Administration

NAICS

Pension Funds (525110), Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292), Direct Life Insurance Carriers (524113)

SIC

Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Pensions & Retirement Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employee Benefit & Retirement Plan Trust Services (FSAAANAC), Benefits Administration & Enrollment Support (BPAAAIAB), Group Life Waiver of Premium & Accelerated Benefit Riders (FSAIADAI)

Keywords

• Public pension administration
• Defined benefit retirement
• Government retirement system
• Pension benefit calculators
• Deferred compensation plans

Headquarters

HQ city

Topeka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Pension Trust Fund Management: KPERS operates as a defined benefit pension system funded by member contributions, employer contributions, and investment returns on the trust fund. The system pays retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to qualified public employees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KPERS administers defined benefit pension plans for Kansas public employees, providing retirement, disability, and survivor benefits across multiple plan tiers: KPERS 1, KPERS 2, KPERS 3, KP&F (Police and Fire), KP&F-DROP, and the Judges plan. The system also offers a voluntary KPERS 457 deferred compensation plan and optional life insurance, supported by online benefit calculators, a secure member portal, and employer administration tools.

Product overview

KPERS is a public pension system offering a unified suite of retirement benefit management services for Kansas public employees. The core offering consists of defined benefit pension plans across multiple member classifications (KPERS 1, KPERS 2, KPERS 3, KP&F, KP&F-DROP, and Judges), supplemented by a 457 deferred compensation plan and optional life insurance. Member-facing digital tools include six online benefit calculators enabling retirement projections, a member login portal for account management, and downloadable forms for key transactions such as retirement applications, beneficiary changes, and withdrawals. The system also provides retiree services including direct deposit payments and a retiree newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KPERS 1: Defined benefit plan for members hired before July 1, 2009
• KPERS 2
• KPERS 3
• KP&F
• KPERS 457

Products and services

• KPERS 1 Plan Defined benefit pension plan for members hired before July 1, 2009, providing state-guaranteed retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to eligible Kansas public employees.
• KPERS 2 Plan Defined benefit pension plan for members hired on or after July 1, 2009, providing state-guaranteed retirement, disability, and survivor benefits using a tiered formula based on service credit and final average salary.
• KPERS 3 Plan Defined benefit pension plan with a cash balance feature for members hired on or after January 1, 2015, providing retirement, disability, and survivor benefits through a hybrid cash balance structure.
• KP&F Plan (Kansas Police and Firemen's Retirement System) Defined benefit pension plan covering Kansas public safety officers (police and firefighters), providing state-guaranteed retirement, disability, and survivor benefits under public-safety-specific formulas.
• KP&F-DROP Plan Deferred Retirement Option Plan for Kansas Police and Fire members, allowing eligible participants to accrue benefits while continuing employment under defined terms.
• Judges Retirement Plan Defined benefit pension plan for Kansas judicial members, providing state-guaranteed retirement, disability, and survivor benefits calculated under judicial-specific formulas.
• KPERS 457 Deferred Compensation Plan Voluntary retirement savings program allowing eligible Kansas public employees to contribute additional funds on a tax-deferred basis to supplement their defined benefit pension.
• Optional Life Insurance Voluntary life insurance coverage available to eligible Kansas public employees as an optional supplement to their retirement benefits package.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Washington State Department of Retirement Systems: Washington DRS administers multiple defined benefit plans for Washington public employees, including teachers, state workers, and public safety. Directly comparable to KPERS in operating multi-tier pension plans for a state public-sector workforce.
• Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS): PSERS administers defined benefit retirement and healthcare benefits for Pennsylvania public school employees. Comparable to KPERS' coverage of Kansas teachers and Board of Regents employees within a state-chartered pension framework.
• Florida Retirement System (FRS): FRS provides retirement benefits to Florida public employees through both defined benefit and defined contribution plan choices. Comparable to KPERS in serving state and local public employees with statutorily governed multi-tier plan options.
• New York State Common Retirement Fund: The NY State Common Retirement Fund is one of the largest U.S. public pension systems, providing defined benefit retirement coverage for New York public employees. Directly comparable to KPERS in statutory authority, defined benefit structure, and statewide public-employee membership base.
• Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS): OPERS administers defined benefit pension, healthcare, and disability benefits for Ohio public employees across multiple plan tiers. Operates the same multi-plan, multi-cohort model that KPERS uses for its KPERS 1/2/3, KP&F, and Judges plans.
• California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS): CalSTRS administers defined benefit retirement benefits for California public educators, mirroring KPERS' role in serving Kansas teachers (Board of Regents) along with broader public employee categories. Operates under the same statutory public-pension governance model.
• Texas Teacher Retirement System (TRS): TRS provides retirement and related benefits for Texas public educators and employees. Comparable to KPERS in serving a defined state public workforce with multiple plan tiers and a large AUM driven by mandatory member and employer contributions.
• Illinois State Universities Retirement System (SURS): SURS provides defined benefit retirement benefits for Illinois public higher education employees. Comparable to KPERS in operating a statutorily governed state pension system with mandatory employer and member contributions and a focus on public-sector workforce segments.
• Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico (PERA): PERA administers defined benefit retirement coverage for New Mexico public employees across multiple plan tiers, mirroring KPERS' structure for state employees, municipal workers, and public safety. Operates as a similarly sized state-chartered public pension system.
• California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS): CalPERS is the largest U.S. public pension fund, administering defined benefit retirement and health benefits for California public employees. Directly comparable to KPERS as a state-chartered defined benefit pension system serving public sector workers with multiple plan tiers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kansas-public-employees-retirement-sytem

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS)