PTO Calculator - Accrual and Balance Projection
Project your paid time off balance from your accrual rate, pay frequency, and planned days off. Free and browser-based, no account needed.
How do you accrue PTO?
Accrual per year
120.1
hours (15.0 days)
Accrual per month
10.01
hours
Balance after planned
40.0
hours
Indication only. Accrual caps, carry-over limits, and waiting periods in your company policy are not modeled.
Projected balance per month
| Month | Hours | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 50.0 | 6.3 |
| Oct 2026 | 60.0 | 7.5 |
| Nov 2026 | 70.0 | 8.8 |
| Dec 2026 | 80.0 | 10.0 |
| Jan 2027 | 90.0 | 11.3 |
| Feb 2027 | 100.1 | 12.5 |
| Mar 2027 | 110.1 | 13.8 |
| Apr 2027 | 120.1 | 15.0 |
| May 2027 | 130.1 | 16.3 |
| Jun 2027 | 140.1 | 17.5 |
| Jul 2027 | 150.1 | 18.8 |
| Aug 2027 | 160.1 | 20.0 |
How PTO Accrual Works
Most employers grant paid time off gradually rather than all at once. If your company gives 15 days per year and you are paid every two weeks, you accrue 15 days x 8 hours = 120 hours across 26 pay periods, which is about 4.62 hours per paycheck. This calculator accepts either form: enter the per-period rate directly from your payslip, or enter days per year and let the tool spread them across the calendar.
The projection answers the practical question behind most PTO math: will I have enough hours by the time my trip starts? Enter your current balance, subtract the time off you have already booked, pick the date you care about, and the tool adds the accrual you will earn between now and then. A negative number after planned time off means you are borrowing against future accrual, which some employers allow and others do not.
Real policies add wrinkles this simple model does not capture: accrual caps that stop earning once your bank hits, say, 1.5x the annual grant, use-it-or-lose-it deadlines at year end, waiting periods for new hires, and higher accrual tiers after 5 or 10 years of service. European statutory minimums also work differently: EU countries guarantee at least 4 weeks of paid leave per year (20 days on a 5-day week), and the entitlement usually exists from day one rather than accruing per paycheck. Always check the projection against your actual policy.
The monthly table gives a 12-month view, which is handy for spacing out multiple holidays in a year or for deciding whether to move a trip a month later so it fits your bank. For counting how many working days a specific holiday costs you, the Date Calculator can count days between two dates, and the Timesheet Calculator tracks the weekly hours that drive your accrual in the first place.
How the PTO Calculator Works
- 01Choose how you accrue: hours per pay period or days per year.
- 02Enter your pay frequency, hours per workday, and current balance.
- 03Subtract any planned time off and optionally pick a future date.
- 04Read your projected balance for that date plus a 12-month forecast table.
Reading Your Accrual From a Payslip
Most US payslips show PTO accrued per pay period, for example 4.62 hours every two weeks, which is 120 hours or 15 days per year. Enter that number directly with the matching pay frequency. If your policy is stated in days per year, switch modes and the calculator spreads the annual grant evenly across the calendar. European contracts usually state days per year, for example the EU statutory minimum of 20 days on a 5-day week.
When to Use a PTO Calculator
Use it before booking a long trip to check whether your balance will cover it by the departure date, when comparing job offers with different accrual rates, or at year end to see whether you need to use days before a carry-over deadline. The monthly table helps you space several holidays across a year without going negative.
Common Use Cases
- Check whether your balance covers a 2-week trip planned for next summer
- Count the working days a holiday actually costs Date Calculator - Add Days & Find Differences
- Track the weekly hours that drive your accrual Timesheet Calculator - Weekly Work Hours & Overtime
Tips
- Enter planned time off in hours: 5 days at 8 hours per day is 40 hours.
- Use the future date field with your trip's departure date, not the booking date.
- If your accrual rate changed mid-year, use the current rate; past accrual is already in your balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
- At 8 hours per workday, 15 days equals 120 hours. Paid biweekly (26 periods) that accrues at about 4.62 hours per paycheck, or 10 hours per month. Adjust the hours per workday if you work a compressed or part-time schedule.
- In this calculator, yes: entering planned time off larger than your current balance shows a negative number, which means you would be borrowing against future accrual. Some employers allow a negative PTO balance and deduct it from your final paycheck if you leave; others simply refuse the request.
- Many policies stop accrual once your bank reaches a ceiling, commonly 1.5 to 2 times the annual grant. This calculator does not model caps, so if your projected balance exceeds your cap, the real number will be lower. Check your policy document for the exact ceiling.
- EU countries guarantee at least 4 weeks (20 days on a 5-day week) of paid annual leave, and many contracts give 25 or more. The entitlement typically exists from the start of the year rather than accruing per paycheck, though pro-rating applies when you join mid-year. The days-per-year mode fits that model best.
- No. Public holidays and company closure days are usually separate from PTO and do not draw from your balance. Only count the days you personally request off in the planned time off field.
How many hours is 15 days of PTO?→
Can my projected balance go negative?→
What is an accrual cap?→
How does PTO work in Europe compared to the US?→
Does the projection account for company holidays?→
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