Employer contribution rates are established by state law and are determined as a percent of member pay.  

PERA Employer Representatives within PERA’s Benefit Services Division can assist employers with any questions about our electronic contribution reporting system (STARS), salary, and membership. Trainings and workshops are available on a variety of topics. 

PERA’s Member Education staff provide a variety of educational meetings for members and can set up information programs for your employees.  

To find out which PERA Employer and Member Education Representatives are assigned to your organization, use the “PERA Employer Number Search” in the Employer portal. 

State law requires PERA membership for those employed by a PERA-affiliated employer in most instances, including full-time, part-time, temporary, seasonal, and substitute employees. For exceptions, see page 14 of the Employer Manual. 

STARS is the Secure Transmission And Reporting System. It allows PERA employers to submit payroll and upload additional administrative information to PERA. To add an employee as a STARS user, please submit a STARS Access Request form to your employer representative.

Please submit a member enrollment file using the STARS portal and choose the "File Transfer Option” and then select “Upload Member Enrollment/Termination Files” from the dropdown menu.

Additionally, be sure to run an SSN Verification report on any and all new hires to ensure proper payroll reporting. Select the “Inquiry” tab and then click on “SSN Verification."

Submit termination information electronically to PERA using the STARS portal. You can submit by clicking on "Upload Member Enrollment/Termination files" under the "File Transfer" tab.

Members must apply for their retirement benefit. To begin the process, members should attend a Retirement Process webinar and review the PERA Retirement Application Kit.