PTO Calculator: Vacation Days Accrued, Balance & Payout Value for 2026
Work out exactly how much paid time off you have earned. Enter your annual PTO allotment and pay schedule, and this free PTO calculator shows how many vacation days you accrue each pay period, how much PTO you have earned so far this year, your remaining balance, and what your unused days are worth if they are paid out. It uses the standard US accrual formula: annual PTO divided by the number of pay periods in the year.
Current as of November 2026. Averages below come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey for March 2026 and the SHRM 2025 Employee Benefits Survey. There is no federal law requiring paid vacation in the US — PTO is set by your employer, and payout and carryover rules vary by state.
Accrual per pay period
0.577 days
4.62 hours per paycheck
PTO earned to date
5.77 days
46.15 hours earned so far
Remaining balance
2.77 days
22.15 hours still available
Estimated payout value
$664.62
2.77 days × 8 hours × $30/hr, before tax
How the math works: Accrual per pay period = annual PTO days ÷ pay periods per year. PTO earned to date = accrual per period × pay periods elapsed. Remaining balance = earned to date − days used. Payout value = remaining days × 8 hours × hourly rate. The calculator assumes an 8-hour workday. If your remaining balance is negative, you have used more PTO than you have earned so far — check whether your employer lets you borrow ahead.
If you take no more time off, your projected year-end balance is 12.00 days (15.00 days for the full year − 3.00 days used).
How to Use This PTO Calculator
Enter your annual PTO allotment in days. This is the total vacation time your employer grants you for the year — check your offer letter, employee handbook or HR portal. If your employer states it in hours, divide by 8 to get days.
Choose your pay frequency. Weekly is 52 pay periods a year, biweekly is 26, semi-monthly is 24 and monthly is 12. Your accrual per paycheck is smaller the more often you are paid, but the yearly total is the same.
Enter how many pay periods have elapsed so far this year. For example, if you are paid biweekly and 10 paychecks have passed since January, enter 10. This is what the calculator uses to work out how much PTO you have earned to date.
Enter the PTO days you have already used. Count vacation days taken this year. If your employer gave you a lump-sum grant on January 1 instead of accruing it, set pay periods elapsed to the full number for the year (for example 26 for biweekly) so earned equals your full allotment.
Enter your hourly pay rate. This is only used to put a dollar value on your unused days. Salaried workers can divide their annual salary by 2,080 (52 weeks × 40 hours) to get an hourly rate.
Read your results. The calculator updates instantly: accrual per pay period, PTO earned to date, remaining balance and the estimated payout value of your unused days.
Worked Example
Example: You get 15 PTO days a year, are paid biweekly (26 pay periods), 10 pay periods have elapsed, you have used 3 days, and you earn $30 an hour.
Accrual per pay period: 15 ÷ 26 = 0.577 days (4.62 hours) per paycheck
PTO earned to date: 0.577 × 10 = 5.77 days (46.15 hours)
Remaining balance: 5.77 − 3 = 2.77 days (22.15 hours)
Estimated payout value: 2.77 × 8 hours × $30 = $664.62, about $665 before tax
These are the default values loaded in the calculator above, so you can check the result yourself.
How Much PTO Is Normal in the US in 2026?
There is no federal minimum, so what is "normal" comes from what employers actually offer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey for March 2026 (published September 2026) reports these averages for private-industry workers who have paid vacation:
Years of service
Average vacation days
Average days in a combined PTO bank
Average sick days
1 year
11
14
7
5 years
16
18
7
10 years
18
20
7
20 years
20
23
7
The SHRM 2025 Employee Benefits Survey, covering 3,969 US employers, found combined PTO averaging 12 days for workers with under a year of service and 26 days for workers with 20 or more years. About 68% of employers combine vacation and sick leave into a single PTO bank, and only 6% offer open or unlimited PTO in 2025, down from 7% in 2024. The BLS also reports that paid vacation is available to about 80% of private-industry workers.
How PTO Accrual Works
Most US employers use one of three methods. Per pay period accrual is the most common: a fixed amount of PTO lands in your balance each paycheck (annual allotment divided by pay periods). Per hour worked is more granular: annual PTO hours divided by 2,080 standard work hours a year gives the hours earned per hour worked — for example, 120 hours a year is 0.0577 hours per hour worked. Lump-sum grant gives you the whole year's PTO upfront, usually on January 1 or your work anniversary. Some employers also have a waiting period of 60 to 90 days before new hires start accruing.
Two limits are common. An accrual cap sets a ceiling on your balance — commonly 1.5 to 2 times your annual allotment — and once you hit it, you stop earning more until you use some time. A cap only pauses future earning; it does not take away hours you have already earned, so it is generally lawful everywhere. A carryover limit sets how much unused PTO rolls into the next year. A strict use-it-or-lose-it policy forfeits your entire unused balance at a set date, usually December 31.
Do You Get Paid for Unused PTO When You Leave?
It depends on your state. There is no federal payout rule. California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska and North Dakota require employers to pay out earned, unused vacation when you leave, treating it as wages — California under Labor Code Section 227.3 and Illinois under the Wage Payment and Collection Act (820 ILCS 115). A few other states require payout unless a written policy says otherwise, and in most remaining states payout depends entirely on what your employer's written policy promises. California, Montana and Nebraska also prohibit use-it-or-lose-it policies for vacation time already earned. Because the rules differ so sharply — and a handful of states, including Illinois, also have separate paid-leave laws with their own payout rules — check your state labor department's guidance before assuming you will be paid out or lose your balance. Only Illinois, Maine and Nevada legally require employers to provide some form of PTO at all; no other state and no federal law does.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is PTO calculated per pay period?Divide your annual PTO allotment by the number of pay periods in the year. For example, 15 days a year paid biweekly is 15 ÷ 26, or about 0.577 days (4.62 hours) per paycheck. Weekly pay gives 52 smaller deposits, monthly pay gives 12 larger ones, and the yearly total is the same either way.
How many PTO days does the average American worker get?According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey for March 2026, private-industry workers with paid vacation average 11 days after one year of service, 16 days after five years, 18 after ten years and 20 after twenty years. A combined PTO bank (vacation plus sick leave) averages 14 days at one year and 23 days at twenty years.
Does my employer have to pay out unused PTO when I leave?It depends on the state. California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska and North Dakota require payout of earned, unused vacation. In most other states, payout depends on the employer's written policy — if the policy promises it, that promise is generally enforceable even where the state does not require it.
Can my employer take away unused PTO at year-end?Use-it-or-lose-it policies are allowed in many states, but California, Montana and Nebraska prohibit forfeiting vacation time you have already earned. Accrual caps, which pause future earning once a balance ceiling is reached, are generally lawful everywhere because they limit future earning rather than taking away time already earned.
Is there a federal law requiring paid vacation in the US?No. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require employers to pay for time not worked, including vacations, and there is no federal minimum number of PTO days. PTO is set by employer policy and, in some states, by state law. The US is the only OECD country with no statutory paid annual leave.
How is the payout value of unused PTO worked out?Multiply your unused PTO days by the hours in a workday (usually 8) and by your hourly pay rate. For example, 2.77 unused days at $30 an hour is 2.77 × 8 × $30, or about $665 before tax. In payout states, the payout is generally at your final rate of pay.
Disclaimer: This calculator gives estimates for planning only, based on the numbers you enter and an 8-hour workday. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Your actual PTO balance, carryover and payout depend on your employer's written policy, your employment agreement and the law in the state where you work. Payout values are shown before tax. Check with your HR department or your state labor department for your exact rules. Current as of November 2026.