PTO Calculator

Free PTO accrual calculator. Enter your annual PTO days, accrual method, and start date to see PTO accrued to date, balance remaining, and a 12-month projection. No sign-up required.

PTO Accrued

7.5 days

60 hrs

PTO Used

3.0 days

24 hrs

PTO Remaining

4.5 days

36 hrs

Next Accrual

Aug 1, 2026

+1.25 days

12-Month Accrual Projection

MonthAccruedCumulativeBalance
Jan 2026+1.251.25-1.75
Feb 2026+1.252.50-0.50
Mar 2026+1.253.750.75
Apr 2026+1.255.002.00
May 2026+1.256.253.25
Jun 2026+1.257.504.50
Jul 2026+1.258.755.75
Aug 2026+1.2510.007.00
Sep 2026+1.2511.258.25
Oct 2026+1.2512.509.50
Nov 2026+1.2513.7510.75
Dec 2026+1.2515.0012.00

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Track PTO Alongside Your Work Hours

Rize shows your complete time picture -- work hours, breaks, and time off in one dashboard. See where your time goes without manual entry.

Who This Calculator Is For

This PTO calculator works for anyone who needs to track vacation accrual and plan time off. Here are the most common use cases.

Employees planning vacations

See exactly how many PTO days you have available and when your next accrual hits. Plan trips with confidence knowing your balance is accurate.

HR managers tracking accruals

Verify PTO balances across different accrual methods. Compare monthly, bi-weekly, and semi-monthly schedules to choose the right policy for your team.

Freelancers budgeting time off

Even without employer PTO, freelancers need to plan for unpaid time off. Use this calculator to set an annual target and track how much time off you can afford.

Small business owners setting policy

Model different PTO policies (10 vs 15 vs 20 days) and accrual methods to find the right balance between employee satisfaction and operational coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Divide your annual PTO days by the number of accrual periods per year. For monthly accrual with 15 days/year: 15 / 12 = 1.25 days per month. For bi-weekly accrual: 15 / 26 = 0.577 days per pay period. Multiply the per-period accrual by the number of periods elapsed to get your accrued balance.

PTO (Paid Time Off) is a single bank of days that covers vacation, sick leave, and personal days. Traditional vacation policies separate these into distinct categories. PTO gives employees more flexibility but may result in people coming to work sick to save days for vacation.

With bi-weekly accrual, PTO is earned every two weeks (26 pay periods per year). If you get 15 PTO days annually, you accrue 0.577 days (about 4.62 hours based on an 8-hour day) every two weeks. This method aligns with bi-weekly payroll schedules.

It depends on your employer's policy and state law. Some companies have use-it-or-lose-it policies (illegal in some states like California, Montana, and Nebraska). Others allow carry-over with a cap. Some states require PTO payout upon termination regardless of policy.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US workers average 10 days of PTO after 1 year, 15 days after 5 years, 17 days after 10 years, and 20 days after 20 years. These averages vary by industry: tech companies typically offer 15-20 days from the start.

There is no federal requirement for PTO, so it depends on the employer. Many companies prorate PTO for part-time workers based on hours worked. For example, a half-time employee (20 hrs/week) might receive 50% of the full-time PTO allocation.

California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, and West Virginia require employers to pay out accrued, unused PTO when an employee leaves. Rules vary by state.

Automatic time tracking software like Rize records your work hours in the background and shows your complete time picture. Instead of managing PTO in a separate spreadsheet, you can see work hours, breaks, and time off all in one dashboard with no manual entry.

How PTO accrual works

PTO accrual distributes your annual time-off allocation across regular intervals throughout the year. Instead of receiving all days on January 1, you earn a fraction each pay period. The three common methods are monthly (1/12 of annual), bi-weekly (1/26), and semi-monthly (1/24).

Accrual-based PTO protects employers from large payouts when employees leave early in the year, while giving employees a predictable accumulation schedule. Most companies set a carry-over cap to prevent excessive accumulation.

Average PTO by years of service

Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that US private-sector workers receive an average of 10 paid vacation days after 1 year of service, 15 days after 5 years, 17 days after 10 years, and 20 days after 20 years. Government employees typically receive more, starting at 13 days and reaching 26 days after 25 years.

Tech companies and startups often offer more generous policies, with some offering unlimited PTO. However, studies show that employees with unlimited PTO often take fewer days than those with fixed allocations, averaging 10-12 days per year.

PTO payout laws by state

State laws vary significantly on whether employers must pay out accrued PTO when an employee leaves. California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Montana are among the strictest, requiring payout of all accrued, unused PTO regardless of company policy.

In states without mandatory payout laws, employers can set use-it-or-lose-it policies. However, many states (including New York and Illinois) prohibit these policies and require either payout or carry-over. Check your state's specific requirements before setting PTO policy.