PTO Accrual Calculator
Enter your current PTO balance, accrual rate per pay period, and how many pay periods to project forward, to calculate your expected paid time off balance.
How the PTO Accrual formula works
A straightforward accumulation:
Projected balance = Current balance + (Accrual rate per pay period × Number of pay periods)
Step-by-step calculation
- Start with your current PTO balance in hours or days.
- Multiply your accrual rate per pay period by the number of pay periods you're projecting forward.
- Add that to your current balance.
Worked example
A current balance of 24 hours, accruing 6.15 hours per biweekly pay period, projected 10 pay periods forward: Projected balance = 24 + (6.15 × 10) = 24 + 61.5 = 85.5 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Does this account for a maximum PTO accrual cap?
No — many employers cap how much PTO can accrue before it stops accumulating until some is used. Check your specific policy's cap and subtract any amount that would exceed it from this calculator's projection.
How do I find my accrual rate per pay period?
It's often listed on a pay stub or in an employee handbook, sometimes as an annual PTO allotment that needs dividing by your number of pay periods per year (26 for biweekly, 24 for semi-monthly, 12 for monthly) to get the per-period rate this calculator uses.