PTO Accrual Calculator: Per Paycheck and Per Hour Worked
Find out how much PTO you earn per paycheck or per hour worked, then project your balance with planned time off and a balance cap. Biweekly and semimonthly payroll give different answers, so the calculator keeps them apart.
Results are estimates from the rules you enter, not your official payroll balance. Waiting periods, rounding, carryover and payout rules vary by employer, so confirm against your plan documents.
Quick answer
For an annual allowance, divide PTO hours by pay periods per year. 120 hours a year is 4.62 hours per biweekly paycheck (26 periods) and 5.00 hours per semimonthly paycheck (24 periods). For hourly accrual, multiply eligible hours worked by your rate. One PTO hour per 30 hours worked is a rate of 0.0333. Then add your current balance, subtract planned time off and apply any cap to project your future balance.
PTO accrual calculator: calculate your PTO
Pick how you earn PTO, enter your numbers and the results update as you type. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.
How the PTO accrual calculator works
Annual allowance divided by pay periods
If your plan gives a set number of PTO hours a year and spreads it evenly, divide the allowance by the accrual periods per year.
120 hours across 26 biweekly periods is about 4.62 hours each. The same 120 hours across 24 semimonthly periods is 5 hours each.
PTO earned per hour worked
Hourly accrual multiplies eligible hours by your rate. If the plan gives one PTO hour for every 30 eligible hours, the rate is 1 ÷ 30, or about 0.0333.
Use your employer’s definition of eligible hours. Paid leave, overtime and unpaid hours may or may not count.
Projected balance
With a cap, the PTO posted can be lower than the PTO earned. This calculator applies the cap to the balance left after planned PTO use, and stops accrual instead of removing hours you already have. Your employer’s posting order may differ.
Biweekly vs semimonthly PTO accrual calculator results
Biweekly payroll is every two weeks, which is 26 paychecks in most years. Semimonthly payroll is twice a month, which is 24. A semimonthly paycheck is larger than a biweekly one for the same annual allowance, so do not swap them when you estimate PTO per paycheck.
| Annual PTO | Weekly (52) | Biweekly (26) | Semimonthly (24) | Monthly (12) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 hours (10 days) | 1.54 | 3.08 | 3.33 | 6.67 |
| 120 hours (15 days) | 2.31 | 4.62 | 5.00 | 10.00 |
| 160 hours (20 days) | 3.08 | 6.15 | 6.67 | 13.33 |
| 200 hours (25 days) | 3.85 | 7.69 | 8.33 | 16.67 |
Part-time and variable-hours PTO accrual
Part-time plans may prorate an annual allowance or accrue by hours worked. To estimate it, choose the hourly method and enter the eligible hours for a typical period. If your hours change a lot, run the calculator with a typical period, then compare it with your actual paystub accrual line. Many state paid sick leave laws also use hourly accrual, often one hour for every 30 or 40 hours worked, so an hourly rate is a common setup. Statutory paid sick leave can follow different eligibility, accrual and usage rules from an employer’s general vacation plan, and this calculator does not determine statutory sick leave entitlements.
Does unused PTO get paid out?
It depends on your state and your employer. Federal law generally does not require private employers to provide paid vacation or to pay out unused vacation when employment ends. Some states add requirements. California generally treats earned vacation as wages that cannot be forfeited, and Colorado has rules on paying earned vacation when employment ends. Combined PTO plans, paid sick leave, carryover limits and payout can be treated differently by state and by type of leave. Check your state labor department and your written policy. This calculator estimates accrued hours. It does not decide whether those hours are legally payable.
PTO accrual calculator: FAQ
How do I calculate PTO earned per paycheck?
Is biweekly the same as semimonthly?
How do I calculate PTO per hour worked?
What is a PTO balance cap?
Does the calculator know my employer’s PTO policy?
Does unused PTO have to be paid out?
Related calculators
Need your yearly work hours? Use the US Working Hours Calculator. Need shift totals and overtime? Use the Time Card Calculator. Counting days between dates? Use the US Business Days Calculator.
How this page is built
The calculator makes these assumptions, so treat every result as an estimate:
- An annual allowance is spread evenly across the periods you choose.
- Hourly accrual uses the eligible hours you enter for each period.
- Planned PTO is a repeating amount per period, and PTO earned in a period can cover that period’s leave. Employers differ on whether accrual posts before or after leave is deducted.
- A cap stops new accrual once the balance reaches it. It does not remove hours above the cap, such as a starting balance that is already over it.
- It does not model waiting periods, dated leave, carryover or year-end forfeiture, and it is not your official payroll balance.
Figures use decimal hours and show two decimals. The federal guidance comes from the U.S. Department of Labor vacation leave page. Built and checked by R.K., Creator and Business Economics Analyst.