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PTO Accrual Calculator

Project how much paid time off you’ll have from your accrual rate, hours worked and current balance.

Updated 2026-09-30
Accrual method
hrs
hrs

How PTO accrual works

Accrual plans give you time off gradually instead of all at once. A common rate is 1 hour of PTO for every 30 hours worked, the same rate many state sick-leave laws use.

Enter your current balance and any cap to see when you’ll stop accruing. Most capped plans pause accrual until you use some time and drop back below the cap.

Balance in 6 months
— Hours
Accrued per week
—
Accrued per year
—
Days earned per year
—
Reaches cap
—

Balance in 6 months
—

Common questions

How do I calculate PTO accrual per hour?

Divide the PTO earned by the hours required. 1 hour per 30 worked is 0.0333 hours of PTO per hour, or 1.33 hours per 40-hour week.

How many days is 80 hours of PTO?

Ten 8-hour days, or two full work weeks. If your employer counts a day as 10 hours on a four-day schedule, 80 hours is eight days.

Does PTO accrue on overtime hours?

Usually, on per-hour plans, because accrual is based on hours worked. Per-pay-period plans accrue a fixed amount regardless of hours.

What happens when I hit the cap?

You stop earning new PTO until your balance drops below the cap. The cap and how it works should be in your employer’s written policy.

How this is calculated

Method
Per hour worked: PTO per week = hours worked per week × (hours earned ÷ hours required).
Per pay period: PTO per week = hours per period × pay periods per year ÷ 52.
Per year: PTO per week = annual hours ÷ 52.
Projected balance = current balance + PTO per week × weeks, limited by the cap.
Assumptions
  • You work the same hours every week.
  • No PTO is used during the projection.
  • A day is 8 hours. A month is 52 ÷ 12 weeks.
  • Accrual pauses at the cap and doesn’t resume during the projection.
Sources
Methodology reviewed 2026-09-30 · See our methodology for how we build and test calculators.