Introduction: Retirement is associated with reduced physical ability, low income, social problems, and loneliness. These factors affect the quality of life of retirees. The aim of this study was to compare the retirement quality of life in medical and administrative personnel in one of the educational and medical centers of Tehran.

Methods: This was a descriptive–comparative study. A total of 315 pensioners who referred to retirement center Hospitals of Medical University of Baqiyatallah in 2015 were selected through simple random sampling method. Data was collected using demographic questionnaires and the “Short Form 36” (SF-36). Validity and reliability had been measured in previous studies. Data was analyzed using SPSS 22.

Results: The mean and standard deviation of quality of life of medical and administrative staff was 58 ± 8.1 and 57.5 ± 8.5, respectively. The mean difference of quality of life between the two groups was not statistically significant. However, this figure had a significant difference in physical functioning and emotional health disorder due to the roles of medical and administrative staff (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: The two groups had no statistical difference in overall quality of life score. However, in physical functioning, retired medical staff had a more unfavorable situation. Therefore, to improve the quality of life of retirees, health policy makers should consider this important issue in regard to retirees and their lives.