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PTO calculator: accrual per pay period and per hour

The short answer

To work out PTO accrual, multiply the paid days off by the hours in a workday, then divide by your pay periods. Fifteen days at 8 hours is 120 hours a year, so paying every two weeks, an employee earns 4.62 hours each period. Per hour worked, it’s the yearly hours divided by 2,080, or about 0.058.

Enter your paid days off and how often you pay. You’ll get the accrual rate to put in your payroll system and your handbook.

Checked November 5, 2026. How we make these tools

Earned each pay period

4.6 hours

Paid time off a year: 120 hours
Earned per hour worked: 0.058 hours
What it pays out over a year: $3,000

How it works

Hours a year = paid days × hours in a workday.
Per pay period = hours a year ÷ pay periods.
Per hour worked = hours a year ÷ paid hours in a year.

Hours earned each pay period, at 8 hours a day
Paid days a year	Weekly	Every two weeks	Twice a month	Monthly
5	0.77	1.54	1.67	3.33
10	1.54	3.08	3.33	6.67
15	2.31	4.62	5	10
20	3.08	6.15	6.67	13.33
25	3.85	7.69	8.33	16.67

Part-time staff

Accruing per hour worked handles this for you. At 15 days a year, the rate is about 0.0577 hours for each hour worked, so someone working 20 hours a week earns about half as much as someone working 40.

What it costs

Paid time off doesn’t usually raise your yearly payroll, since you’d pay those weeks anyway, but you get fewer hours of work for it. At $25 an hour, 120 hours is $3,000 of pay with no work done. The employee cost calculator shows what that does to the cost of each hour worked, and the employee schedule helps you cover the gaps.

Rules on paid leave, carryover and paying out unused time depend on your state and city, and some require paid sick leave. Check yours and write your policy down. This isn’t legal advice.

Common questions

How do I calculate PTO accrual?

Divide the PTO hours a year by the number of pay periods. 120 hours a year, paid every two weeks, is about 4.62 hours each pay period.

How much PTO is 15 days a year per pay period?

At 8 hours a day, that’s 120 hours a year: about 2.31 hours a week, 4.62 every two weeks, 5 twice a month, or 10 a month.

How do I work out PTO per hour worked?

Divide the yearly PTO hours by the paid hours in a year. 120 ÷ 2,080 is about 0.0577, so 40 hours of work earns about 2.31 hours of PTO.

Do I have to offer PTO?

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act doesn’t require pay for time not worked, such as vacation or sick leave, but some states and cities require paid leave. Check your own rules, and see the Department of Labor’s page.

Do I have to pay out unused PTO?

It depends on your state and your written policy. Some states treat earned vacation as wages. Check before you write a use-it-or-lose-it rule.

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