PTO Accrual Calculator
This calculator works out a PTO (paid time off) balance from the accrual policy you enter: how often you are paid, how much PTO you earn each pay period, any cap, and the time off you have used. It shows every accrual and deduction in a ledger so you can check the result line by line.
No account is needed, and the values you enter are not stored or sent anywhere.
Calculate your PTO balance
What this calculator does and does not do
The calculator applies the policy you enter. It does not look up or decide what an employer must offer.
- It does not determine legal entitlements.
- It does not apply state or local rules.
- It does not cover statutory paid sick leave, FMLA leave, or payout of unused PTO when employment ends.
Federal law (the Fair Labor Standards Act) does not generally require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. State laws, local laws, and employment contracts can still set rules, so check your employer's written policy.
What each field means
- Pay period frequency. Biweekly means every 14 days, which gives 26 pay periods in most years and 27 in some. Semimonthly means twice a month, on the 15th and the last day, which always gives 24. They are different schedules and produce different per-period amounts.
- First pay period end date (biweekly only). The first pay period that ends on or after your start date, for example 2026-01-09.
- How PTO accrues. Choose a fixed number of hours per pay period (for example 4), an annual number of hours spread across the year's pay periods (for example 80), or hours earned per hour worked (for example 0.0385).
- Accrual cap (optional). The highest balance your policy allows, in hours. Once the balance reaches it, new accruals stop until time is used.
- Policy allows a negative balance. Leave this off if your policy does not let you use time you have not yet earned.
- Start date, end date. The calculation range, up to 3 years. The starting balance is your balance at the beginning of the start date.
- Starting balance. Hours, for example 10 or 7:30.
- Time off used and adjustments. Dated entries in hours or days. Use a negative adjustment to subtract hours, for example a correction.
- Hours in your workday. Needed only when you enter amounts in days. The calculator never assumes an 8-hour day.
How the balance is calculated
balance = starting balance + accruals + adjustments − time off used
Every amount is handled in whole minutes, so totals never drift because of rounding. A pay period accrues on its end date. When several entries share a date, accruals come first, then adjustments, then time off used. If the policy has a cap, an accrual is reduced to the amount that fits under it, and the ledger shows the part that was not accrued. The methodology explains each rule with examples.
Worked example
Synthetic example. A starting balance of 10 hours on 2026-01-01, a policy of 4 hours per biweekly pay period with pay periods ending 2026-01-09, 2026-01-23, and 2026-02-06, and 5 hours of time off on 2026-02-10. The result on 2026-02-15 is 17 hours: 10 + 3 × 4 − 5 = 17.
| Date | Entry | Hours | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | Starting balance | 10.00 | 10.00 |
| 2026-01-09 | Accrual | 4.00 | 14.00 |
| 2026-01-23 | Accrual | 4.00 | 18.00 |
| 2026-02-06 | Accrual | 4.00 | 22.00 |
| 2026-02-10 | Time off used | −5.00 | 17.00 |
Select Load example in the calculator to reproduce it.
Limits
- Partial pay periods are not prorated: a period accrues in full on its end date.
- Carryover limits and expiry of unused PTO are not applied.
- Only biweekly and semimonthly schedules are supported.
- One person per calculation, with a range of up to 3 years.
- Amounts in days use the workday length you enter.
Frequently asked questions
How does PTO accrue each pay period?
Under a per-pay-period policy, you earn a set amount of PTO each time a pay period ends. The amount comes from your employer's policy, either as fixed hours per period or as an annual total divided across the year's pay periods. Some policies instead give a rate per hour worked.
Why do biweekly and semimonthly schedules give different amounts?
An annual amount is divided by the number of pay periods. Semimonthly pay has 24 periods a year and biweekly pay usually has 26, so 80 hours a year is 3 h 20 min per semimonthly period but about 3 h 04 min per biweekly period. The pay period guide walks through the numbers.
What happens in a year with 27 pay periods?
Some years have 27 biweekly pay dates. If your policy spreads an annual amount, the calculator divides it by 27 for that year and shows a notice. If your policy grants a fixed amount per period, you simply receive one extra accrual.
Does this calculator store my data?
No. The calculation runs in your browser. The values you enter are not saved, not added to the page address, and not sent to analytics. Clear data empties the form.
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Reviewed by José Luis Pérez on