PTO Accrual Calculator
Paid time off accrued each pay period or per hour worked from a yearly allowance in days or hours, the balance you will have by a date after time taken, with an optional cap, and its cash value at your hourly pay.
Result…
How it's calculated
Allowance in hours = days × hours a day Per pay period = yearly hours ÷ pay periods a year Per hour worked = yearly hours ÷ (hours a week × 52) Balance = start + accrued − taken (capped) Cash value = balance in hours × hourly pay
Many employers let paid time off build up gradually instead of granting the whole year at once. The usual method divides the yearly allowance by the number of pay periods, so 20 days of 8 hours paid every two weeks accrues 160 ÷ 26 = 6.15 hours a period. Hourly employees often accrue per hour worked instead. The balance counts complete pay periods (or weeks) from the start date, adds the starting balance and subtracts time taken, spread evenly over the periods. With a cap, accrual pauses while the balance is at the cap. Rules on accrual, carry-over, caps and payout differ by employer and country, and local law can set minimums.
Your numbers, step by step
About the PTO Accrual calculator
This PTO accrual calculator works out how much paid time off you earn each pay period, or for each hour worked, from your yearly allowance in days or hours. Add your current balance, a start date, the date you are planning for and the time off you will take, and it gives the balance you will have then, counting complete pay periods. With a cap, accrual pauses while the balance is full, and it shows how much the cap stopped. Enter your hourly pay to see what the balance is worth in money, for example if unused time is paid out when you leave. Employees planning a holiday, managers and payroll teams checking a payslip can all use it. Rules on accrual, caps, carry-over and payout differ by employer and by country, so check your own contract or handbook.
How to use it
- Choose to “Count time off in” days or hours, and enter the “Yearly allowance” and “Hours in a workday”.
- Choose whether time off “Accrues” each pay period or per hour worked, then the “Pay frequency” or “Hours worked a week”.
- Enter the “Balance on the start date”, the “Start date” and the date in “Balance on”.
- Add the “Time off taken by then”, any cap in “Most you can hold (optional)”, and your “Hourly pay (optional)”.
- Read the accrual per period, the balance on your date and its cash value.
Worked example
An allowance of 25 days of 8 hours is 200 hours a year. Paid every two weeks, that is 200 ÷ 26 = 7.6923 hours, or 0.9615 days, a pay period. From 2 November 2026 to 3 May 2027 there are 13 complete pay periods, adding 12.5 days. Starting with 4 days and taking 3, the balance is 4 + 12.5 − 3 = 13.5 days: 108 hours, worth 108 × 30 = 3,240 at an hourly pay of 30.
Updated
Questions people ask
How do I calculate PTO accrual per pay period?
Turn the yearly allowance into hours, then divide by the number of pay periods a year: 52 weekly, 26 every two weeks, 24 twice a month or 12 monthly. 20 days of 8 hours paid every two weeks is 160 ÷ 26 = 6.15 hours a period.
What is the formula for PTO accrued per hour worked?
Divide the yearly allowance in hours by the hours you work in a year. 80 hours a year at 40 hours a week is 80 ÷ (40 × 52) = 0.0385 hours for every hour worked.
How much is my unused PTO worth?
Multiply the balance in hours by your hourly pay. Whether unused time is paid out at all, and at what rate, depends on your employer and local law; the salary to hourly calculator gives an hourly figure from a salary.
What happens when my PTO balance reaches the cap?
Accrual usually stops until you take time off and the balance drops below the cap, so time you would have earned is lost. Planning time off before you reach the cap avoids that.
Why is my payslip balance different from this?
Employers may start accrual after a waiting period, count partial periods, round each accrual, accrue only on hours actually worked or add carried-over time on a set date. Check your handbook or ask payroll or HR, who can confirm the rules that apply where you work.