PTO / Vacation Accrual Calculator
Project your leave balance from your accrual rate.
How PTO accrual works
PTO (paid time off) accrual builds up a leave balance gradually over pay periods, rather than granting the full annual allotment upfront — the standard accrual-based leave policy used by many employers.
Enter your current balance, how much you accrue per pay period, how many pay periods have elapsed since your balance was last checked, and how many pay periods your organization has per year. The calculator returns your accrued time since the start point, your projected balance, and your total annual accrual.
Some employers cap accrual at a maximum balance ('use it or lose it' or rollover limits) — this calculator does not apply a cap, so check your policy if you're near a known limit.
The formula
Projected balance = Current balance + (Accrual rate per period × Periods elapsed)
Multiply the accrual rate per pay period by the number of pay periods elapsed to get newly accrued time, then add it to the current balance.
Worked example
40 hours current balance, 3.33 hours/period, 5 periods elapsed, 26 periods/year
Accrued since start = 3.33 × 5 = 16.65 hours. Projected balance = 40 + 16.65 = 56.65 hours. Annual accrual = 3.33 × 26 ≈ 86.6 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Does this account for an accrual cap?
No — if your organization caps the maximum PTO balance you can hold, this calculator does not apply that cap. Check your policy if your projected balance is near a known limit.
What if my organization grants PTO annually instead of accruing it?
This calculator is built for accrual-based policies. For an upfront annual grant, no projection is needed — your balance is simply the granted amount minus time used.
How do I find my accrual rate per pay period?
Divide your annual PTO allotment by your number of pay periods per year — for example, 15 days (120 hours) ÷ 26 pay periods ≈ 4.6 hours per period.
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