PTO Calculator

Three PTO calculations in one: how much paid time off you earn each paycheck, how your balance grows when you accrue per hour worked (like 1 hour for every 30), and what your unused PTO is worth when it's paid out.

Paid time off

PTO per paycheck

4.62hours
  • PTO per hour worked0.0577
  • Days a year (8-hour days)15
  • Hours worked to earn 1 hour17.3

How to use it

  1. Choose a mode: per paycheck, per hours worked, or payout.
  2. Enter your annual PTO (or accrual rate), pay frequency and hours.
  3. For payout, enter your PTO balance and hourly rate.

The formula

PTO per paycheck = annual PTO hours ÷ paychecks per year

Accrual per hour = PTO earned ÷ hours worked (1 ÷ 30 = 0.0333)

Payout = PTO hours × hourly rate

Example: 15 days of PTO is 120 hours. Paid biweekly, you accrue 120 ÷ 26 = 4.62 hours each paycheck, or 0.0577 hours per hour worked.

Good to know

  • California requires at least 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, usable up to 40 hours (5 days) a year.
  • California, Colorado and Massachusetts require employers to pay out earned vacation when you leave; many other states follow the employer's written policy.
  • PTO payouts are taxed as supplemental wages; federal withholding is often a flat 22%.

Questions

How is PTO accrual calculated?

Divide your annual PTO hours by the number of pay periods (or by 2,080 hours worked). 80 hours a year paid biweekly is 80 ÷ 26 = 3.08 hours per paycheck.

How many hours is 2 weeks of PTO?

80 hours for a 40-hour week. Three weeks is 120 hours.

Do I get paid for unused PTO when I quit?

Depends on the state. California, Colorado and Massachusetts require payout of earned vacation. Elsewhere it depends on your employer's written policy.

What is a PTO cap?

A maximum balance. Once you reach it you stop accruing until you use some PTO. Caps are often 1.5 to 2 times the yearly accrual.