PTO Accrual Calculator
Plug in your accrual rate and method to see your current PTO balance, what you'll have by year-end, and how long until you hit your cap.
Annual PTO Allowance
Accrual Method
Pay Frequency
Hours Worked Per Week
Pay Periods Completed
PTO Already Used
Accrual Cap (Max Balance)
Set to 0 for no cap
Carryover from Last Year
Track Your Hours Automatically
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How PTO Accrual Works
Most employers use one of three methods to dole out paid time off over the course of a year. Which one applies to you depends on whether you're salaried, hourly, or part-time.
- Per Pay Period — Your annual PTO hours get split evenly across every pay period. This is the most common setup for salaried and full-time hourly workers. With 120 hours per year on a biweekly schedule, that works out to 4.62 hours every two weeks.
- Per Hour Worked — You earn PTO based on the hours you actually clock. Good fit for part-time or irregular schedules. The math: divide your annual PTO hours by total annual work hours (2,080 for a standard full-time schedule) to get your per-hour rate.
- Annual Allotment (Front-Loaded) — You get the full year's PTO on day one. Easier for HR to manage, but employers take on more risk if someone leaves a few months in.
PTO accrual formulas
The per-pay-period formula is simple: divide your annual PTO hours by the number of pay periods in a year. Per-hour accrual works the same way, except you divide by total annual work hours instead.
Per Pay Period: Annual PTO Hours / Pay Periods Per Year. Example: 120 hours / 26 biweekly periods = 4.62 hours per period.
Per Hour Worked: Annual PTO Hours / Annual Work Hours. Example: 120 hours / 2,080 annual hours = 0.0577 hours per hour worked.
To convert PTO days to hours, multiply by 8 (a standard workday). So 15 PTO days = 120 PTO hours.
PTO Accrual Rates by Annual Allowance
This table shows per-period and per-hour accrual rates for common PTO allowances, assuming a 40-hour workweek (2,080 annual hours).
| PTO Days | PTO Hours | Per Hour | Biweekly | Semi-Monthly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 40 | 0.0192 | 1.54 hrs | 1.67 hrs | 3.33 hrs |
| 10 | 80 | 0.0385 | 3.08 hrs | 3.33 hrs | 6.67 hrs |
| 12 | 96 | 0.0462 | 3.69 hrs | 4.00 hrs | 8.00 hrs |
| 15 | 120 | 0.0577 | 4.62 hrs | 5.00 hrs | 10.00 hrs |
| 18 | 144 | 0.0692 | 5.54 hrs | 6.00 hrs | 12.00 hrs |
| 20 | 160 | 0.0769 | 6.15 hrs | 6.67 hrs | 13.33 hrs |
| 25 | 200 | 0.0962 | 7.69 hrs | 8.33 hrs | 16.67 hrs |
| 30 | 240 | 0.1154 | 9.23 hrs | 10.00 hrs | 20.00 hrs |
PTO caps, carryover, and use-it-or-lose-it
Many employers set an accrual cap, which is the maximum PTO balance you can bank. Caps typically land at 1.5x to 2x your annual allotment (so 240 hours if you earn 120 per year). Once you reach the cap, accrual stops until you take some time off.
Carryover policies vary widely. Some employers let you roll over unlimited PTO, others set a carryover limit, and some run "use-it-or-lose-it" policies where unused hours expire at year-end. A handful of states, including California, Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska, ban use-it-or-lose-it policies outright and require employers to either allow rollover or pay out the balance.
Average PTO by years of service
Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that PTO allowances in the U.S. go up with tenure:
| Years of Service | Avg. Vacation Days | Avg. Total PTO Days | Biweekly Accrual |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 1 year | 7-8 | 10-12 | 3.08 - 3.69 hrs |
| 1 year | 10 | 13-15 | 4.00 - 4.62 hrs |
| 3-4 years | 12 | 15-16 | 4.62 - 4.92 hrs |
| 5 years | 15 | 18-20 | 5.54 - 6.15 hrs |
| 10 years | 17 | 20-22 | 6.15 - 6.77 hrs |
| 15 years | 19 | 22-25 | 6.77 - 7.69 hrs |
| 20+ years | 20 | 25-28 | 7.69 - 8.62 hrs |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey; SHRM average PTO benchmarks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about PTO accrual and vacation time calculations
How is PTO accrual calculated?
Take your total annual PTO hours and divide by the number of pay periods (for per-period accrual) or by your total annual work hours (for per-hour accrual). Example: 120 hours of PTO per year on a biweekly schedule = 120 / 26 = 4.62 hours per pay period.
What is the difference between PTO accrual per hour and per pay period?
Per-hour accrual ties your PTO earnings to hours you actually work, so it's a natural fit for part-time or variable-schedule employees. Per-pay-period accrual gives you the same PTO amount each pay cycle no matter how many hours you logged, which is simpler for salaried and full-time hourly workers.
What is a PTO accrual cap?
It's the maximum number of PTO hours you can have banked at any one time. Once you reach it, you stop earning more until you use some of your balance. Most caps fall between 1.5x and 2x the annual allotment (so 240 hours if you earn 120 per year).
Do employers have to pay out unused PTO?
That depends on your state. California, Colorado, and Montana, among others, require employers to pay out accrued but unused PTO when you leave. Other states let employers run "use-it-or-lose-it" policies. Check your state's labor laws to be sure.
How much PTO does the average American get?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) puts it at 10 paid vacation days after 1 year of service for private-industry workers, 15 days after 5 years, and 15-19 days after 10+ years. Add in sick days and personal days, and total PTO averages about 18 days per year.
What is the difference between PTO accrual and front-loaded PTO?
Accrual-based PTO adds time off to your balance gradually, either per pay period or per hour worked. Front-loaded PTO gives you the entire year's allowance up front on day one. Front-loading is simpler to manage, but the employer takes on more risk if someone quits early in the year.
Can I lose accrued PTO if I don't use it?
Possibly. Some employers run "use-it-or-lose-it" policies that expire unused PTO at year-end. But several states (California, Montana, Nebraska, among others) ban those policies and require employers to roll over unused time or pay it out. Check your company's policy and your state law.
How does PTO accrual work for part-time employees?
Part-time employees usually accrue PTO at a prorated rate. If full-time (40 hrs/week) gets 120 hours per year, someone working 20 hours per week would get 60 hours. The per-hour-worked accrual method handles this math automatically.
Need More Than a Quick Calculation?
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