PTO Accrual Calculator
Project paid time off balances from an hourly, per-pay-period or annual accrual rate, with accrual caps, carry-over limits and hours-to-days conversion.
| Pay period | Approx. date | Accrued | Balance (h) | Balance (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | 3.077 | 27.08 | 3.38 d |
| 2 | — | 3.077 | 30.15 | 3.77 d |
| 3 | — | 3.077 | 33.23 | 4.15 d |
| 4 | — | 3.077 | 36.31 | 4.54 d |
| 5 | — | 3.077 | 39.38 | 4.92 d |
| 6 | — | 3.077 | 42.46 | 5.31 d |
| 7 | — | 3.077 | 45.54 | 5.69 d |
| 8 | — | 3.077 | 48.62 | 6.08 d |
| 9 | — | 3.077 | 51.69 | 6.46 d |
| 10 | — | 3.077 | 54.77 | 6.85 d |
Accrual per pay period is your rate directly, your rate × hours worked when the plan accrues per hour worked, or the annual entitlement ÷ pay periods when it is granted yearly. A common US plan of 80 hours a year over 26 biweekly periods is 3.0769 hours per period, or 0.0385 hours per hour worked across a 2,080-hour year. The projection stops adding hours once the accrual cap is reached, and the carry-over cap is applied to the ending balance. Dates are approximate — they space pay periods evenly across the year rather than tracking your employer’s exact pay calendar. Leave entitlement, caps and use-it-or-lose-it rules are set by your contract and by local law, so treat every number here as an estimate and check your policy. All calculations stay in your browser.
What is the PTO Accrual Calculator?
Paid time off accrues in one of three ways: a fixed number of hours each pay period, a fraction of an hour for every hour worked, or an annual grant spread across the year.
- Three accrual bases: per pay period, per hour worked, or annual grant
- Period-by-period projection table with approximate dates and running balance
- Accrual cap that stops the balance growing, with capped periods flagged
- Year-end carry-over cap applied to the closing balance
- Hours converted to days at a workday length you set
- Flags a negative balance when booked leave exceeds what you will accrue
How to use the PTO Accrual Calculator
- 1
Choose the accrual basis: per pay period, per hour worked, or per year.
- 2
Enter the accrual rate and pick your pay frequency — weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly or monthly.
- 3
Enter your current balance, the hours you have already used and any hours already booked.
- 4
Set the accrual cap, the year-end carry-over cap and how many hours are in your workday.
- 5
Set how many pay periods to project and read the balance table with approximate dates.
About the PTO Accrual Calculator
Paid time off accrues in one of three ways: a fixed number of hours each pay period, a fraction of an hour for every hour worked, or an annual grant spread across the year. This calculator handles all three, converts between them, and projects your balance forward pay period by pay period.
It applies the rules that catch people out. An accrual cap stops the balance growing once you hit the maximum, hours already used come off the opening balance, hours booked but not yet taken are shown separately, and a carry-over limit is applied to whatever is left at year end. A configurable workday length converts hours into days.
Leave entitlement, caps and use-it-or-lose-it rules are set by your contract and by local law, so every factor here is an input rather than an assumption. These are estimates, not legal or HR advice. Everything runs in your browser and no employment data is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate PTO accrual per hour worked?
Divide the annual PTO hours by the annual hours worked. A plan giving 80 hours a year across a 2,080-hour full-time year accrues 0.0385 hours of PTO for every hour worked, so a 40-hour week earns about 1.54 hours.
How much PTO do I accrue each pay period?
Divide the annual entitlement by the number of pay periods. Eighty hours a year over 26 biweekly pay periods is 3.0769 hours per period; over 24 semi-monthly periods it is 3.3333 hours. Select your frequency above and the tool does the conversion.
What is a PTO accrual cap?
It is a maximum balance beyond which you stop earning new leave until you take some. It is common in places where unused leave must be paid out on termination, since it limits the employer's liability. Set it to zero here if your plan has no cap.
How do I convert PTO hours into days?
Divide the hours by the length of your standard workday. Eighty hours is ten days on an eight-hour day but only 6.67 days on a twelve-hour shift, which is why the workday length is an input rather than a fixed assumption.
Are these figures binding on my employer?
No. This is an estimate based on the rate and rules you enter. Accrual timing, caps, carry-over and payout rules vary by contract, employer policy and local law, and your payroll system may round differently. Check your policy document or HR team for the authoritative balance.
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