PTO & Vacation Accrual Calculator
Track paid time off accrual per pay period, project your balance, and value your unused days in dollars.
Your details
Projection
Set to 0 for no cap
Value
This calculator runs entirely on your device. Nothing you enter is uploaded, stored, or sold. How this works
Projected balance
97.8 hours
12.2 days after 12 pay periods, worth $4,403
Includes your inputs, the full breakdown, and every row of the table.
Accrual per pay period
6.15 hrs
0.77 days
Accrual per hour worked
0.0769 hrs
Annual PTO hours
160 hrs
Current balance value
$2,880
- 20.0 days × 8.0 hrs
- 160 hrs/yr
- Divided by 26 pay periods
- 6.154 hrs per period
- Starting balance
- 64.0 hrs
- Accrued over 12 periods
- +73.8 hrs
- Planned usage
- - 40.0 hrs
- Projected balance
- 97.8 hrs
- Cash value at your rate
- $4,403
| Pay period | Accrued | Balance | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Period 1 | +6.15 hrs | 66.8 hrs | 8.4 days |
| Period 2 | +6.15 hrs | 69.6 hrs | 8.7 days |
| Period 3 | +6.15 hrs | 72.5 hrs | 9.1 days |
| Period 4 | +6.15 hrs | 75.3 hrs | 9.4 days |
| Period 5 | +6.15 hrs | 78.1 hrs | 9.8 days |
| Period 6 | +6.15 hrs | 80.9 hrs | 10.1 days |
| Period 7 | +6.15 hrs | 83.7 hrs | 10.5 days |
| Period 8 | +6.15 hrs | 86.6 hrs | 10.8 days |
What this means
- No accrual cap reached in this projection.
- Some states, notably California, treat accrued vacation as earned wages that cannot be forfeited and must be paid out at termination. 'Use it or lose it' policies are unlawful there.
- Unlimited PTO policies generally have no accrued balance and therefore no payout when you leave. That is a real, quantifiable difference from an accrual plan.
How the pto & vacation accrual calculation works
PTO accrual is usually expressed per pay period: annual hours divided by the number of pay periods in a year. Twenty days at eight hours each is 160 hours, or about 6.15 hours per biweekly paycheck.
Two policy details matter most. The accrual cap stops you earning once your balance reaches a ceiling, which quietly costs you time if you never take days off. And the payout rule at termination varies by state — in some, accrued time is a wage that must be paid; in others it can be forfeited entirely.
Frequently asked questions
How much PTO do I accrue per pay period?
Divide your annual PTO hours by the number of pay periods. Fifteen days (120 hours) on a biweekly schedule accrues 4.62 hours per paycheck.
Do I get paid for unused PTO when I leave?
It depends on state law and company policy. California, Colorado, and several others require payout of accrued vacation. Many states leave it to the employer's written policy.
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Disclaimer. This calculator is provided for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, legal, medical, or engineering advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs you provide and the assumptions described above. Confirm any figure with a qualified professional before acting on it.