PTO Accrual Calculator
Calculate PTO earned per pay period, accrued so far, and your estimated available balance in hours and days. Use your employer’s actual policy for the closest match.
Calculate your PTO accrual
Choose the method that matches the wording in your handbook or pay stub.
This is a policy-based estimate, not an official payroll balance. Waiting periods, caps, tenure tiers, rounding, leave taken between accrual dates, state/local rules, and employer-specific posting dates can change the amount shown on a pay stub.
Quick answer: PTO accrual is usually calculated from the rule in your employer’s policy. If you receive 120 PTO hours per year and accrue biweekly, a standard estimate is 120 ÷ 26 = 4.62 PTO hours per pay period. Federal law does not set a general PTO minimum for private-sector workers; state/local law and employer policy may still affect specific leave rights.
Written by Ruby MillerHR & Employment Law Content Lead · Reviewed August 27, 2026
How PTO accrual is calculated
PTO accrual means earning paid time off gradually. The exact formula depends on how your employer defines the benefit: an annual allowance spread across pay periods, a fixed number of hours per period, or a rate based on hours actually worked.
Annual allowance formula
If your policy states PTO in days, convert days to hours first: annual PTO days × hours in your workday = annual PTO hours. For example, 15 days × 8 hours = 120 hours per year.
Current balance formula
This calculator keeps the math transparent so you can compare the result with your handbook or pay stub. It does not silently assume a carryover limit, accrual cap, or waiting period.
Per-hour-worked formula
Hourly accrual is useful when work hours vary. If your policy says you earn 0.0385 PTO hours for every hour worked, 520 work hours would produce about 20.02 PTO hours.
Common PTO accrual rates by pay frequency
The table below converts common annual PTO allowances into hours earned per pay period, assuming an 8-hour workday and even accrual across the standard number of periods.
| Annual PTO | Weekly (52) | Biweekly (26) | Semi-monthly (24) | Monthly (12) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 days / 80 hrs | 1.54 hrs | 3.08 hrs | 3.33 hrs | 6.67 hrs |
| 15 days / 120 hrs | 2.31 hrs | 4.62 hrs | 5.00 hrs | 10.00 hrs |
| 20 days / 160 hrs | 3.08 hrs | 6.15 hrs | 6.67 hrs | 13.33 hrs |
| 25 days / 200 hrs | 3.85 hrs | 7.69 hrs | 8.33 hrs | 16.67 hrs |
These are arithmetic examples, not statutory PTO rates. Your employer may use different annual hours, a custom accrual year, tenure tiers, or payroll rounding.
Biweekly vs. semi-monthly PTO accrual
Biweekly normally means every two weeks, or 26 standard pay periods per year. Semi-monthly means twice per month, or 24 standard periods. The same 120-hour annual allowance therefore works out to about 4.62 hours biweekly but 5.00 hours semi-monthly.
Some payroll calendars can contain an extra pay date depending on timing. If your employer gives you an explicit accrual rate, use that rate rather than forcing the standard 52/26/24/12 assumption.
Three PTO accrual methods this calculator supports
Best when the policy says “15 days per year” or “120 hours per year.” The calculator spreads that allowance across the selected accrual frequency.
Best when a pay stub or handbook already states a number such as “4.62 PTO hours every biweekly period.”
Best for a policy that awards a fraction of PTO for each work hour, which can be especially useful for variable-hour schedules.
What about frontloaded PTO?
Frontloading is different from accrual. If your employer credits the full annual bank at the start of the year or on a set anniversary date, there may be no gradual accrual to calculate. Start with the amount actually granted, then subtract PTO used.
What about unlimited PTO?
An unlimited-PTO policy usually does not create a fixed earned bank in the same way a traditional accrued policy does. A balance calculator is therefore not a good fit unless the employer separately tracks earned hours for a specific purpose.
Why your PTO calculator result may not match your pay stub
A difference does not automatically mean payroll is wrong. Check the policy details below before comparing numbers.
- Accrual posting date: some systems post PTO only after a pay period closes or after payroll runs.
- Waiting period: a policy may delay when accrual starts, when PTO becomes usable, or both.
- Tenure tiers: the accrual rate may increase after 1, 3, 5, or another number of years.
- Part-time proration: a stated full-time annual allowance may not apply to a reduced schedule.
- Rounding: payroll software may round each period rather than only the final year-to-date total.
- Caps: accrual may pause when the balance reaches a policy maximum and resume after PTO is used.
- Separate leave banks: vacation, sick time, personal time, and combined PTO can follow different rules.
- Hours counted: an hourly-accrual policy may define whether overtime, paid holidays, or leave hours count toward accrual.
If your employer publishes the exact accrual rate on the pay stub, the Per pay period or Per hour worked mode above is usually a better match than reverse-engineering the rate from an annual allowance.
US PTO law: what is federal law and what is employer policy?
Federal law does not create a general private-sector right to vacation-style PTO. The U.S. Department of Labor states that the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require payment for time not worked, including vacation, sick leave, or holidays; these benefits are generally matters of agreement between the employer and employee.
That does not mean every leave question is controlled only by the handbook. State and local laws can impose separate paid-sick-leave, payout, carryover, forfeiture, or other requirements. Federal laws such as the FMLA can also protect qualifying leave even though FMLA itself is generally unpaid.
PTO accrual during FMLA leave
Do not assume PTO always stops accruing during FMLA leave. The FMLA does not itself entitle an employee to additional benefit accrual during unpaid leave, but the employer must apply its established policy consistently with comparable paid or unpaid leave. In practice, whether vacation or PTO continues to accrue can depend on the employer’s normal benefit rules for that type of absence.
PTO payout and “use-it-or-lose-it” rules
Those rules can be state-specific and are separate from the arithmetic on this page. If you are leaving a job, use the Vacation Payout Calculator and check the applicable state rule before treating an accrued balance as a guaranteed cash payment.
Official sources reviewed for this page:
U.S. Department of Labor — Vacations and Leave Benefits: the FLSA does not require vacation, holiday, severance, or sick pay, and vacation/PTO benefits are generally matters of agreement.
U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau — Paid Leave: there is no general federal law regarding paid time off, while state and local rules may apply to particular types of paid leave.
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division — FMLA guidance: benefit accrual during FMLA leave depends on the employer’s established treatment of comparable leave, subject to FMLA protections.
Reviewed: August 27, 2026. This page provides general educational information, not legal, tax, HR, or payroll advice.
PTO accrual examples
Use the number safely
The calculator is designed to answer the arithmetic question: “Based on this policy rule, about how much PTO should I have accrued?” It cannot determine whether your employer’s policy is lawful in a particular state, whether a payout is owed at termination, or whether a specific absence qualifies for protected leave.
For the closest payroll comparison, use the same units as your employer, copy the exact accrual rate when one is published, count only completed accrual periods, and enter PTO already used in the same measurement window.
PTO accrual calculator FAQs
How do I calculate PTO accrual?
If PTO is based on an annual allowance, convert the allowance to hours and divide by the number of accrual periods in the year. Then multiply the per-period rate by completed periods. Add any starting or carryover balance and subtract PTO already used.
How much PTO is 120 hours per year biweekly?
Using 26 standard biweekly periods, 120 ÷ 26 = about 4.62 PTO hours per pay period. After 13 completed periods, that equals about 60 hours accrued before carryover or PTO used.
What is 15 days of PTO in hours?
With an 8-hour workday, 15 PTO days equal 120 hours. If your normal leave day is longer or shorter than 8 hours, multiply 15 by your own hours-per-day figure instead.
What is the difference between biweekly and semi-monthly PTO accrual?
Biweekly normally uses 26 standard periods per year, while semi-monthly uses 24. A 120-hour annual allowance therefore accrues at about 4.62 hours biweekly or 5.00 hours semi-monthly.
How do I calculate PTO earned per hour worked?
Multiply hours worked by the policy’s PTO rate per work hour. For example, 500 hours × 0.04 PTO hours per work hour = 20 PTO hours earned.
Is an employer required to offer PTO in the United States?
There is no general federal requirement for private employers to provide vacation-style PTO. However, state and local laws can require specific types of paid leave or regulate how earned leave is treated.
Can an employer cap PTO accrual?
Policies may include balance or accrual caps, subject to applicable state or local law. This calculator does not automatically apply a cap because the timing of PTO use can affect when accrual stops and restarts.
Does PTO accrue while I am on unpaid FMLA leave?
The FMLA does not itself guarantee additional benefit accrual during unpaid leave. Whether PTO continues to accrue depends on the employer’s established policy for comparable paid or unpaid leave and must be administered consistently with FMLA requirements.
Does unused PTO roll over?
It depends on the employer’s policy and any applicable state or local rules. Some policies allow full carryover, some impose a cap, and some use a different annual reset structure.
Why is my pay-stub PTO balance different from this calculator?
Common reasons include payroll rounding, a waiting period, a different accrual year, tenure-based rates, part-time proration, a balance cap, PTO taken after the last posting date, or a pay cycle that does not match the standard frequency assumptions.