PTO accrual calculator

Convert a PTO policy into hours per paycheck, per year or per hour worked, then see how your balance grows with an accrual cap, a carryover limit and planned time off.

1. How is PTO earned?

A yearly allowance (e.g. 15 days a year) Per hour worked (e.g. 1 hour per 30 worked) A fixed amount each paycheck

Pay frequency Hours in a workday Yearly allowance Allowance is in Hours worked per year (for the per-hour rate) Earn 1 hour of PTO for every … hours worked Hours worked per paycheck PTO hours earned per paycheck

Earned per paycheck–

Earned per year–

Per year in workdays–

Per hour worked–

2. Balance projection (optional)

Current balance (hours) Accrual cap: maximum balance (hours, blank = none) Carryover limit at plan-year end (hours, blank = unlimited) Paychecks left in this plan year Hours you plan to use each paycheck Paychecks to project

Balance at the end–

Total earned–

Total used–

Not earned because of the cap–

Forfeited at year end–

Paychecks until the cap–

Paycheck	Earned	Used	Balance	Notes

How PTO accrual is calculated

Per paycheck: yearly hours ÷ paychecks per year. For example, 15 days × 8 hours = 120 hours a year. Paid every two weeks (26 paychecks), that's 120 ÷ 26 = 4.615 hours per paycheck.
Per hour worked: yearly hours ÷ hours worked per year. 120 ÷ 2,080 = 0.0577 hours for each hour worked, about 1 hour for every 17.3 hours. Policies written as "1 hour for every 30 hours worked" accrue 1 ÷ 30 = 0.0333 hours per hour worked.
Per year: hours per paycheck × paychecks per year.

Caps and carryover

An accrual cap is the most PTO you can hold. Once your balance reaches the cap you stop earning until you use some, so this calculator pauses accrual at the cap and shows what wasn't earned. A carryover limit is how much unused PTO rolls into the next plan year. Anything above it is forfeited at year end, if your policy and state allow that. The projection applies the carryover limit after the last paycheck of each plan year.

Some states limit what employers can do here. California, for example, treats earned vacation as wages that can't be forfeited, so "use it or lose it" carryover limits aren't allowed there, though reasonable accrual caps are. See the PTO payout by state table for the official sources.

Order of operations used

For each paycheck: add the accrual (up to the cap), subtract the time you planned to use (never more than you have), then at plan-year end cut the balance to the carryover limit. Employers can do these steps in a different order or on a different calendar, so check your handbook.

Related calculators

PTO payout calculator (by state): What unused vacation is worth at termination, plus each state's payout rule with official sources.
Hourly to salary calculator (with PTO): Hourly ↔ annual salary, accounting for paid and unpaid days off.
Time card calculator: Add up a week of shifts with breaks and overnight shifts, and split out overtime.
Overtime calculator: Time-and-a-half pay for hours over 40 in a workweek, with optional double time.

Results are estimates for planning. They are not legal, tax or payroll advice. Gross amounts are before taxes and withholding.