How to use the PTO calculator
- Choose how you earn PTO. Your employee handbook or pay stub usually says one of three things: so many hours for every hour worked (for example 1 hour for every 30 worked), a fixed number of hours each pay period, or a number of days or hours a year.
- Enter the rate and pick your pay period: weekly, every two weeks (biweekly), twice a month (semi-monthly) or monthly.
- Enter how many pay periods ahead to count. It starts at one year's worth. Use fewer to see your balance by a holiday date, for example 10 biweekly periods.
- Optional: add your current balance and the cap, if your employer has one.
The result shows your balance in hours and in days, using the hours in your workday (8 unless you change it), plus what you earn each pay period and each year.
How PTO accrual is worked out
Per hour worked. PTO earned each pay period = hours worked in the period × hours earned ÷ hours worked. At 1 hour for every 30 worked and 40 hours a week, a biweekly period of 80 hours earns 80 ÷ 30 = 2.67 hours. Over a year of 2,080 hours that is 69.33 hours, or 8.67 eight-hour days. The calculator works out hours per pay period from your weekly hours (weekly hours × 52 ÷ pay periods a year), so semi-monthly and monthly periods are averages.
Per pay period. You earn the same number of hours every paycheck. Multiply by the number of pay periods.
Per year. A yearly allowance is spread evenly across the pay periods. 80 hours a year paid biweekly is 80 ÷ 26 = 3.08 hours a period. Days are turned into hours first: 15 days at 8 hours is 120 hours, which is 5 hours each semi-monthly period.
| Policy | Pay period | Each period | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour per 30 worked, 40 h a week | Biweekly | 2.67 h | 69.33 h (8.67 days) |
| 1 hour per 30 worked, 40 h a week | Weekly | 1.33 h | 69.33 h (8.67 days) |
| 80 hours a year | Biweekly | 3.08 h | 80 h (10 days) |
| 15 days a year, 8-hour days | Semi-monthly | 5 h | 120 h (15 days) |
| 10 hours a month | Monthly | 10 h | 120 h (15 days) |
Halfway through the year, after 13 biweekly periods, the 80-hour policy has given you 40 hours (5 days). After 12 semi-monthly periods, the 15-day policy has given you 60 hours (7.5 days).
PTO hours to days
Employers usually track PTO in hours, but people plan time off in days. Days = hours ÷ hours in your workday. 40 hours is 5 days if you work 8-hour days, but only 4 days if you work 10-hour days. If your days vary in length, ask how your employer counts a day off, because some take off the hours you were scheduled to work that day.
Caps and carryover
Many policies set a cap, the most PTO you can hold at once. When your balance reaches it, you stop earning until you use some. With 10 hours a month and an 80-hour cap, you reach the cap after 8 months, and for the rest of the year you earn nothing more unless you take time off. The calculator stops your balance at the cap and tells you after how many periods you reach it.
Policies also differ on carryover (whether unused PTO moves into next year), on waiting periods for new employees, and on what happens to unused PTO when you leave. Those depend on your employer's policy and on state law, so the calculator does not guess them.
Who decides how much PTO you get
In the US, federal law does not require paid vacation. The Department of Labor says the Fair Labor Standards Act "does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or federal or other holidays", and that these benefits are "matters of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employee's representative)."
Some states set their own rules, especially for paid sick leave. California is one example. Its Labor Commissioner says that under an accrual plan, employees "must earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for each 30 hours of work", and that the law "requires employers to provide and allow employees to use at least 40 hours or five days of paid sick leave per year". Other states and some cities have their own leave laws, which this page does not cover. Check your state labor department's website and your employer's written policy for the rules that apply to you.
Questions and answers
How do I calculate PTO accrual per hour?
Divide the PTO hours you earn by the hours you must work to earn them, then multiply by the hours you work. At 1 hour for every 30 worked, 40 hours a week earns 1.33 hours of PTO a week.
How many hours of PTO is 2 weeks?
With 8-hour days and a 5-day week, two weeks is 10 days, or 80 hours. With 10-hour days and a 4-day week, two weeks is 8 days, still 80 hours.
How much PTO do I earn each paycheck?
Divide your yearly PTO by the number of paychecks. 80 hours a year is 3.08 hours each biweekly paycheck (26 a year), or 3.33 hours each semi-monthly paycheck (24 a year).
What happens when I hit the PTO cap?
Under a cap, you usually stop earning PTO until your balance drops below it. Your employer's policy says exactly how it works, including whether partial accrual resumes straight away.
Is PTO the same as sick leave?
Not always. Some employers combine vacation and sick time into one PTO bank; others keep them separate. Some states, such as California, also require paid sick leave with its own rules. Check your policy and your state's labor department.
Do I earn PTO on overtime hours?
That depends on your employer's policy, and for sick leave, on state law. If overtime hours count, include them in your hours worked per week.
Sources
Checked on 7 October 2026. If a rule has changed, please tell us.