Calculate your PTO accrual rate per pay period and per hour worked, project your paid time off balance by a future date, and convert PTO hours to days.
PTO Formula
This calculator works in three modes. Each mode uses its own formula.
Accrual rate per pay period:
Accrual per Period = Annual PTO Hours / Pay Periods per Year
Accrual per hour worked:
Accrual per Hour = Annual PTO Hours / (Hours per Week * 52)
Projected future balance:
Ending Balance = Current Balance + (Accrual per Period * Periods) - Planned PTO
Hours and days conversion:
Days = PTO Hours / Hours per Workday
Where:
- Annual PTO Hours is the paid time off you earn in a full year, in hours. If your policy is set in days, multiply days by your hours per workday.
- Pay Periods per Year uses nominal assumptions of 52 weekly, 26 biweekly, 24 semimonthly and 12 monthly periods. Actual payroll credit dates and some payroll years can differ.
- Hours per Week is your full-time schedule, normally 40, used to find the rate earned for each hour you work.
- Current Balance is the PTO hours you have available right now.
- Accrual per Period is the PTO hours added each pay period.
- Periods is your entered number of remaining accrual credits. Date mode estimates it as floor(calendar days / (365.25 / nominal periods per year)); it does not count an actual payroll calendar.
- Planned PTO is any time off you intend to use before the target date.
- Hours per Workday is the length of one workday, normally 8, used to switch between hours and days.
The accrual rate mode divides a yearly allotment under the stated schedule assumptions. The balance mode first adds future accrual, applies an optional cap, then subtracts all planned time off. It shows available hours floored at zero and reports any shortfall separately. This simplified order cannot model leave taken between accrual credits, resumed accrual after leave, carryover resets or policy changes. Use actual credit counts and your employer’s rules for a policy-specific projection. The conversion mode converts hours and workdays using the entered workday length.
Typical PTO Accrual by Pay Frequency
The table below shows the accrual per pay period for common annual allotments. Divide annual hours by the number of pay periods to read any row.
| Annual PTO | Weekly (52) | Biweekly (26) | Semimonthly (24) | Monthly (12) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 hrs (10 days) | 1.54 hrs | 3.08 hrs | 3.33 hrs | 6.67 hrs |
| 120 hrs (15 days) | 2.31 hrs | 4.62 hrs | 5.00 hrs | 10.00 hrs |
| 160 hrs (20 days) | 3.08 hrs | 6.15 hrs | 6.67 hrs | 13.33 hrs |
| 200 hrs (25 days) | 3.85 hrs | 7.69 hrs | 8.33 hrs | 16.67 hrs |
The hours to days figures assume an 8-hour workday. If your workday is a different length, change the hours per workday input so the day totals match your policy.
Example Problems
Example 1: Accrual rate. Your employer gives you 120 hours of PTO per year and pays you biweekly, so there are 26 pay periods in the year. The accrual per pay period is 120 / 26 = 4.62 hours. Working a 40-hour week, you put in 40 * 52 = 2,080 hours per year, so you earn 120 / 2,080 = 0.0577 hours of PTO for every hour worked.
Example 2: Projected balance. You currently have 40 hours of PTO and accrue 4.62 hours each biweekly pay period. You want your balance in 12 pay periods, and you plan to use 16 hours of PTO in that time. You will accrue 4.62 * 12 = 55.44 hours, bringing the balance to 40 + 55.44 = 95.44 hours. After subtracting the 16 planned hours, your projected ending balance is 79.44 hours.
FAQ
How do I find my accrual rate per pay period? Divide your annual PTO hours by the number of pay periods in your year. Weekly pay has 52 periods, biweekly has 26, semimonthly has 24, and monthly has 12. For example, 96 hours paid biweekly is 96 / 26 = 3.69 hours per period.
What is the difference between hours and days of PTO? Days are converted to hours using the length of your workday. With an 8-hour day, 5 days of PTO equals 40 hours. If your standard day is 7.5 hours, the same 5 days equals 37.5 hours, so always convert with your own workday length.
Why does my projected balance stop growing? An employer policy may set a maximum balance. This calculator applies the entered cap before subtracting all planned time off; it does not model the dates of leave or resumed accrual after leave. A cap below the current balance requires checking the policy rather than automatically removing existing hours.
