PTO Calculator
Calculate your accrued paid time off balance from your annual allotment, pay period frequency, and days already used.
Most employers grant PTO gradually over the year rather than all at once — a set number of days accrue each pay period, and your actual available balance at any given moment is whatever has accrued so far minus whatever you've already taken. This calculator works out your per-period accrual rate from your annual allotment and pay schedule, then applies it across however many pay periods have passed to show your real current balance. It works the same way whether your employer calls it PTO, vacation time, or a combined leave bank.
How many pay periods have completed since your accrual year started.
Current PTO Balance
4.50
days available
Accrual / Period
0.577 days
Accrued to Date
7.50 days
How to Use This Calculator
1. Enter your annual PTO allotment
The total number of days you're granted per year, per your employer's policy.
2. Select your pay period frequency
Weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly — matches how often you're paid.
3. Enter pay periods elapsed this year
How many pay periods have completed since your accrual year began.
4. Enter PTO days already used
Subtracted from your accrued total to show your real current balance.
How It Works
balance = (annual_days ÷ periods_per_year × periods_elapsed) − days_used15 annual days, biweekly pay (26 periods/year), 13 periods elapsed, 3 days used: (15 ÷ 26 × 13) − 3 = 7.5 − 3 = 4.5 days available.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is PTO accrual calculated?
Divide your annual PTO allotment by the number of pay periods in a year to get your accrual rate per period, then multiply by how many pay periods have elapsed to get your total accrued PTO. Subtract any days already used to get your current balance.
Does this work for sick leave or only vacation time?
It works for any accrual-based leave bank — vacation, sick time, or a combined PTO pool — as long as it accrues at a fixed rate per pay period. Just use the annual allotment for whichever leave type you're calculating.
Why is my accrual rate a fraction of a day?
Most accrual rates don't divide evenly. 15 days over 26 biweekly pay periods is about 0.577 days per period — a fraction that's normal and matches how most payroll systems actually track PTO internally, even if your pay stub rounds the displayed number.
Common Mistakes
❌ Assuming the full annual allotment is available on day one
Most accrual-based PTO policies grant days gradually across the year, not as a lump sum in January. Spending against the full annual number before it has actually accrued is how people end up with a negative PTO balance.
❌ Forgetting employer-specific accrual caps
Many employers cap how much unused PTO can carry over or accumulate beyond a maximum balance. This calculator shows straight-line accrual; check your specific policy for caps that might apply once your balance grows large.
❌ Mixing up calendar year and accrual year
Some employers start PTO accrual on your hire date anniversary rather than the calendar year. Count pay periods elapsed from your actual accrual year start, not January 1st, if your employer uses an anniversary-based policy.
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