PTO Accrual Rate Chart
A PTO accrual rate is how much paid time off you earn per pay period or per hour worked. To get it, divide the yearly PTO hours by the number of pay periods (52 weekly, 26 biweekly, 24 semimonthly, 12 monthly) or by the hours worked in a year (2,080 for a full-time 40-hour week). The chart below does the math for common yearly amounts.
PTO accrual rate chart
| Yearly PTO | Days at 8 h | Weekly (52) | Biweekly (26) | Semimonthly (24) | Monthly (12) | Per hour worked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 h | 5 | 0.77 | 1.54 | 1.67 | 3.33 | 0.0192 |
| 80 h | 10 | 1.54 | 3.08 | 3.33 | 6.67 | 0.0385 |
| 120 h | 15 | 2.31 | 4.62 | 5.00 | 10.00 | 0.0577 |
| 160 h | 20 | 3.08 | 6.15 | 6.67 | 13.33 | 0.0769 |
| 200 h | 25 | 3.85 | 7.69 | 8.33 | 16.67 | 0.0962 |
Hours per period are rounded to two decimals and rates per hour to four. "Per hour worked" assumes 2,080 hours a year. The chart is arithmetic, not a recommendation: your policy sets the yearly amount.
How to read it
- Find your yearly amount in the first column. If your policy says "two weeks", that is 80 hours with an 8-hour workday.
- Pick your pay schedule. Biweekly pay has 26 paychecks in most years; semimonthly has 24. The same 80 hours gives 3.08 hours per biweekly paycheck but 3.33 per semimonthly one.
- Hourly employees use the last column: multiply it by the hours worked in the pay period.
When rounding changes the year
If payroll rounds each accrual, the yearly total can drift. 3.08 × 26 is 80.08 hours, and 0.0385 × 2,080 is also 80.08. Some employers adjust the last pay period so the year adds up exactly; others do not. In a year with 27 biweekly paydays, a fixed 3.08 hours per period adds up to 83.16 hours unless the policy divides by 27 that year.
Frequently asked questions
What is a PTO accrual rate?
It is the amount of PTO you earn for each pay period or each hour worked. It comes from your employer's policy, usually stated as a yearly amount, hours per pay period or hours per hour worked.
How much PTO is 0.0577 per hour?
At 0.0577 hours per hour worked, a full-time year of 2,080 hours earns about 120 hours, which is 15 days with an 8-hour workday. An 80-hour biweekly pay period earns about 4.62 hours.
How many hours of PTO do I earn per paycheck with 80 hours a year?
3.08 hours per biweekly paycheck, 3.33 per semimonthly paycheck, 1.54 per weekly paycheck, or 6.67 per month.
Is there a standard PTO accrual rate?
No single rate applies to everyone. Employers set their own amounts, often by years of service. The chart only converts a yearly amount into per-period and per-hour rates.