{
  "id": "pto",
  "version": "148022150c0b",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "PTO Calculator",
  "question": "How much PTO do I earn?",
  "summary": "Works out paid time off accrual: PTO hours earned per year, per pay period and per hour worked from any one of them, in days too, and the balance after a number of pay periods with a cap.",
  "category": "finance",
  "subcategory": "tax-and-pay",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/finance/pto-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/finance/pto-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "Per year = typed, or per pay period × pay periods a year, or hours worked a year ÷ hours per PTO hour. Per pay period = per year ÷ pay periods; per hour = per year ÷ (hours a week × 52); days = per year ÷ hours a day.",
  "assumptions": [
    "A work year is 52 weeks of the typed weekly hours (2,080 hours at 40 a week).",
    "PTO is earned evenly over the year; no waiting period, carryover limit or use is taken off.",
    "A cap stops new PTO once the balance reaches it; a balance already over the cap stays as it is."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "by": {
        "title": "You know the PTO",
        "description": "How your employer states the PTO you earn.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "year",
          "period",
          "hour"
        ]
      },
      "year": {
        "title": "PTO hours per year",
        "description": "The PTO hours you earn in a full year.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 2000
      },
      "pp": {
        "title": "PTO hours per pay period",
        "description": "The PTO hours added each payday.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 200
      },
      "every": {
        "title": "Hours worked for 1 hour of PTO",
        "description": "You earn 1 hour of PTO for every this many hours worked.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 1,
        "maximum": 1000
      },
      "week": {
        "title": "Hours worked per week",
        "description": "Your usual work hours in a week.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 1,
        "maximum": 168
      },
      "pay": {
        "title": "Pay frequency",
        "description": "How often you are paid, which sets the pay periods in a year.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "weekly",
          "biweekly",
          "semimonthly",
          "monthly"
        ]
      },
      "day": {
        "title": "Hours in a work day",
        "description": "The hours in one day off, to turn hours into days.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 1,
        "maximum": 24
      },
      "bal": {
        "title": "PTO balance now",
        "description": "The PTO hours you have now.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 10000
      },
      "n": {
        "title": "Pay periods ahead",
        "description": "How many pay periods to look ahead for the balance.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 520
      },
      "cap": {
        "title": "PTO cap",
        "description": "The most PTO you can hold; accrual stops at the cap. Leave empty for no cap.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 10000
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "perYear": {
      "label": "PTO per year",
      "description": "PTO hours earned in a year.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "perPeriod": {
      "label": "PTO per pay period",
      "description": "PTO hours earned each pay period.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "perHour": {
      "label": "PTO per hour worked",
      "description": "PTO hours earned for each hour worked: the accrual rate.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "perMonth": {
      "label": "PTO per month",
      "description": "PTO hours earned per month on average: per year ÷ 12.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "days": {
      "label": "PTO days per year",
      "description": "PTO per year in work days.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "later": {
      "label": "Balance after those pay periods",
      "description": "The balance now plus the PTO earned, held at the cap.",
      "format": "number"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "by": "year",
      "year": 80,
      "pp": 4,
      "every": 30,
      "week": 40,
      "pay": "biweekly",
      "day": 8,
      "bal": 0,
      "n": 26
    },
    "outputs": {
      "perYear": 80,
      "perPeriod": 3.076923076923077,
      "perHour": 0.038461538461538464,
      "perMonth": 6.666666666666667,
      "days": 10,
      "later": 80
    },
    "text": "You earn 80 hours of PTO a year: 3.08 hours each pay period, or 10 days."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "by": "year",
        "year": 80,
        "week": 40,
        "pay": "biweekly",
        "day": 8,
        "bal": 0,
        "n": 26
      },
      "expect": {
        "perYear": 80,
        "pp": 3.076923076923077,
        "perHour": 0.038461538461538464,
        "perMonth": 6.666666666666667,
        "days": 10,
        "later": 80
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 80 ÷ 26 = 3.08 hours a pay period; 80 ÷ 2,080 = 0.0385 an hour; U.S. Department of Labor, Vacation Leave: the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations; vacation benefits are an agreement between employer and employee, https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/vacation_leave"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "by": "period",
        "pp": 4,
        "week": 40,
        "pay": "semimonthly",
        "day": 8,
        "bal": 0,
        "n": 0
      },
      "expect": {
        "perYear": 96,
        "perHour": 0.046153846153846156,
        "perMonth": 8,
        "days": 12,
        "later": 0
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 4 × 24 = 96 hours a year; U.S. Department of Labor, Vacation Leave: the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations; vacation benefits are an agreement between employer and employee, https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/vacation_leave"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "by": "hour",
        "every": 30,
        "week": 40,
        "pay": "biweekly",
        "day": 8,
        "bal": 0,
        "n": 0
      },
      "expect": {
        "perYear": 69.33333333333333,
        "pp": 2.6666666666666665,
        "days": 8.666666666666666
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 2,080 ÷ 30 = 69.33 hours a year; U.S. Department of Labor, Vacation Leave: the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations; vacation benefits are an agreement between employer and employee, https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/vacation_leave"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "by": "year",
        "year": 120,
        "week": 40,
        "pay": "biweekly",
        "day": 8,
        "bal": 20,
        "n": 10,
        "cap": 40
      },
      "expect": {
        "pp": 4.615384615384615,
        "days": 15,
        "later": 40
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 20 + 10 × 4.615 = 66.15, held at the 40-hour cap; U.S. Department of Labor, Vacation Leave: the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations; vacation benefits are an agreement between employer and employee, https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/vacation_leave"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "by": "year",
        "year": 80,
        "week": 30,
        "pay": "biweekly",
        "day": 6,
        "bal": 10,
        "n": 13
      },
      "expect": {
        "perHour": 0.05128205128205128,
        "days": 13.333333333333334,
        "later": 50
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 80 ÷ 1,560 = 0.0513 an hour; 10 + 13 × 3.077 = 50; U.S. Department of Labor, Vacation Leave: the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations; vacation benefits are an agreement between employer and employee, https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/vacation_leave"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "U.S. Department of Labor, Vacation Leave: the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or holidays; these benefits are a matter of agreement between an employer and an employee. Retrieved 2026-10-02. https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/vacation_leave"
  ],
  "related": [
    "salary",
    "salary-to-hourly",
    "overtime",
    "time-card"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}