PTO Accrual Calculator
Free PTO accrual calculator: turn annual paid-time-off days into an accrual rate per pay period, with hours earned, used, and remaining year-to-date.
Full-year paid-time-off allowance, in days.
Used to convert between days and hours.
Monthly = 12, semi-monthly = 24, biweekly = 26, weekly = 52.
How many pay periods have been paid so far this year.
Hours of PTO you have taken year-to-date.
Results
Total annual PTO (hours)
120
15 days × 8 hours.
- Accrual per pay period (hours)Total hours ÷ 26 pay periods.
- 4.62
- Accrued through period 13 (hours)
- 60
- Remaining balance (hours)
- 60
- Remaining balance (days)
- 7.5
Granting 15 PTO days a year accrues 4.62 hours each pay period. Through 13 periods you have earned 60 hours; after 0 hours used, 60 hours (7.5 days) remain.
Free and instant - nothing is stored or sent. Estimates for planning purposes, not accounting, tax, or investment advice.
Most employers grant PTO as an annual number of days but accrue it in hours, a little each pay period. This calculator bridges the two: enter the days granted and your pay schedule, and it returns the accrual rate per pay period plus how many hours and days you have banked so far.
It works for employees checking a balance and for HR or founders setting up an accrual policy. Change the pay periods per year to match weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly payroll, and set periods elapsed to any point in the year.
What PTO accrual measures
Accrual is the pay-as-you-go model for paid time off: instead of dropping a full year of leave into your account on January 1, the employer credits a fixed slice of hours every pay period. By year-end the slices add up to the full annual grant, but at any mid-year date you have earned only what you have accrued.
This matters at separation and for planning: an accrual policy means you can only take (or be paid out for) time you have already earned, unlike a front-loaded policy that grants everything up front.
The accrual formula
Total annual PTO hours = days granted × hours per workday. A 15-day policy at 8 hours a day is 120 hours a year. Accrual per pay period = total annual hours ÷ pay periods per year - 120 ÷ 26 biweekly periods is about 4.62 hours each paycheck.
Accrued to date = accrual per period × pay periods elapsed. Remaining balance = accrued to date − hours already used, and dividing hours by hours-per-day converts back to days. At 13 periods elapsed with none used, that is 60 accrued hours, or 7.5 days available.
How to read the result
A negative remaining balance means time was taken ahead of accrual - allowed under some policies, but it becomes a clawback if the employee leaves before earning it back. Watch that figure if your policy permits borrowing against future PTO.
For policy design, remember many states treat accrued PTO as earned wages that must be paid out at termination, and some cap how much can carry over year to year. The accrual rate this tool produces is the number you would enter into a payroll or HR system.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my PTO accrual rate?
Multiply your annual PTO days by hours per workday to get total annual hours, then divide by your number of pay periods per year. Example: 15 days × 8 hours = 120 hours; on biweekly payroll (26 periods) that is about 4.62 hours accrued per paycheck. Weekly payroll (52 periods) would accrue about 2.31 hours.
How many PTO hours is 15 days?
At a standard 8-hour workday, 15 days equals 120 hours. The conversion is always days × hours-per-workday, so a 10-hour-day schedule would make 15 days equal 150 hours. Always confirm the hours-per-day your employer uses, because part-time and compressed schedules change the math.
Does unused PTO get paid out when I leave?
It depends on your state and employer policy. Several states (including California) treat accrued vacation as earned wages that must be paid out at termination and prohibit "use it or lose it" forfeiture. Others let employers set their own rules. Check your state law and employee handbook for the specific policy.
What is the difference between accrued and front-loaded PTO?
Accrued PTO is earned gradually each pay period, so mid-year you have only banked a portion of the annual amount. Front-loaded (or "lump sum") PTO grants the full year up front on a set date. Accrual limits how much can be taken early and simplifies payout math; front-loading is simpler for employees but riskier for employers if someone leaves early.
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