PTO Accrual Calculator
See exactly how much paid time off you earn each pay period — or per hour worked — and project your balance to any future date.
Enter your annual PTO allowance and pay schedule to see how many hours you accrue each pay period, and project your balance forward.
You Accrue per Pay Period
4.62 hours
120 hours per year (15 days x 8 hours)
Projected Balance After 6 Pay Periods
51.69 hours
= 6.5 days off
Tracking PTO balances in a spreadsheet? HiveDesk manages accrual, requests, and approvals automatically.
Track it automatically →How PTO Accrual Works
Most companies grant paid time off gradually rather than all at once. The two most common accrual structures:
Per Pay Period (most common for salaried teams)
Annual PTO Hours = PTO Days x 8
Accrual per Period = Annual PTO Hours ÷ Pay Periods per Year
Example: 15 days of PTO = 120 hours. Paid biweekly (26 periods), the employee accrues 120 ÷ 26 = 4.62 hours per paycheck.
Per Hours Worked (common for hourly teams)
PTO Earned = Hours Worked ÷ Accrual Ratio
Example: At 1 hour of PTO per 30 hours worked, a 40-hour week earns 1.33 hours of PTO — roughly 8.7 days over a year. Many state sick leave laws mandate this structure.
PTO payout and expiration rules vary by state — check your state in our labor law compliance guides.
PTO Accrual Rates by Pay Frequency
Hours accrued per pay period for common annual PTO allowances:
| Annual PTO | Weekly (52) | Biweekly (26) | Semi-monthly (24) | Monthly (12) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 days (80 hrs) | 1.54 | 3.08 | 3.33 | 6.67 |
| 12 days (96 hrs) | 1.85 | 3.69 | 4.00 | 8.00 |
| 15 days (120 hrs) | 2.31 | 4.62 | 5.00 | 10.00 |
| 18 days (144 hrs) | 2.77 | 5.54 | 6.00 | 12.00 |
| 20 days (160 hrs) | 3.08 | 6.15 | 6.67 | 13.33 |
| 25 days (200 hrs) | 3.85 | 7.69 | 8.33 | 16.67 |
Hours per pay period, assuming an 8-hour workday.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How is PTO accrual calculated?
Convert the annual PTO allowance to hours (days x 8), then divide by the number of pay periods in the year. An employee with 15 days (120 hours) paid biweekly accrues 120 / 26 = 4.62 hours per paycheck.
What does "accrue 1 hour per 30 hours worked" mean?
For every 30 hours on the clock, the employee earns 1 hour of paid time off. A full-time employee working 40 hours a week earns 1.33 hours of PTO weekly — about 69 hours (8.7 days) over a full year. This structure is common for hourly workers and is how many state and city paid sick leave laws are written.
What is a PTO accrual cap?
A cap is the maximum balance an employee can hold; accrual pauses until the balance drops below it. Caps are commonly set at 1.5x to 2x the annual accrual rate. Whether unused PTO can expire at all depends on state law — some states treat accrued PTO as earned wages that cannot be forfeited.
Do employers have to pay out accrued PTO when an employee leaves?
It depends on the state. Some states require paying out all accrued, unused PTO as final wages; others leave it to company policy. Check the specific rules in your state before setting policy — our state labor law guides cover PTO payout requirements.
Does PTO accrue during overtime hours?
Under most per-hours-worked policies, yes — accrual is based on all hours worked, including overtime, unless the policy caps accrual at 40 hours per week. Per-pay-period accrual is unaffected by overtime since it grants a fixed amount each period.
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