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PTO accrual calculator

Enter how much paid time off you earn, how often you earn it and your balance today. See how much you will have earned by a date you choose, your balance on that date and your yearly total.

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The amount your policy gives per period, in hours or days. The results use the same unit.

Used only when you earn time off each pay period.

Used only when you earn time off for each hour worked.

hours

The time off you have now, in the same unit as the accrual. Leave blank for none.

Leave blank to count from today.

The date you want to know your balance for, such as the start of a trip.

How to use it

  1. Enter your accrual rate. Find the amount you earn in your offer letter, handbook or payslip, such as 4 hours each pay period or 1.5 days each month, and enter the number with how often you earn it.
  2. Add your pay schedule and balance. If you earn time off each pay period, choose how often you are paid. Add the balance on your latest payslip, and hours per week if you earn time off for each hour worked.
  3. Pick the dates and read the result. Leave the start date blank to count from today, choose the date you care about, and read the time off earned by then, your balance on that date and what you earn in a full year.

Example

What was entered

Time off earned each period
4
How often you earn it
Each pay period
How often you are paid
Every two weeks (26 a year)
Hours worked per week
40 hours
Balance today
10
Count from
October 1, 2026
Count to
January 1, 2027

The result

Time off earned by the date
24.00
Balance on the date
34.00
Time off earned a year
104.00

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Frequently asked questions

How is PTO accrual calculated?

The calculator counts the whole periods between the two dates and multiplies them by your accrual rate. For 4 hours each pay period, paid every two weeks, 1 October 2026 to 1 January 2027 holds 6 whole pay periods, so you earn 24 hours. Add a balance of 10 hours and you have 34 hours on the later date.

Why does the result count only whole periods?

The calculator adds time off only for each period that is complete by your date, so a period that is only partly over adds nothing yet. Your employer may credit time off on different days, such as each payday, so check your next payslip when the exact timing matters.

How does accrual per hour worked work?

Choose each hour worked, enter the amount you earn per hour, such as 0.0385 hours, and your usual hours per week. The calculator multiplies the rate by your weekly hours and by the number of weeks between the dates, so change the hours if your schedule varies.

Does my employer have to give me paid time off?

The US Department of Labor states that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or federal or other holidays, and that these benefits are matters of agreement between an employer and an employee or the employee's representative. Your offer letter, contract or handbook sets how you earn time off.

Does the calculator apply caps or carryover?

No. It adds everything you earn between the dates to your balance and does not stop at a maximum, remove unused time at the end of a year or subtract time you plan to take. Check your policy for any cap, carryover rule or waiting period and adjust the result by hand.