Disclaimer
Last updated: June 2026
This PTO accrual calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only and is not legal, tax, or payroll advice. There is no federal law requiring paid vacation or PTO — accrual rates, caps, carryover, waiting periods, and payout are set by your employer's written policy and by state and local law, and they vary. In some states (including California, Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska) accrued vacation is treated as earned wages and "use-it-or-lose-it" forfeiture may be unlawful; several states require payout at termination. Per-period figures may differ from your employer's payroll due to rounding. Confirm exact numbers with your HR or payroll team, and legal questions with your state labor department or an attorney.
The point of stating this plainly is simple: decisions about your pay and time off carry real consequences, and a calculator cannot know the exact terms of your employment or the current law in your jurisdiction. Use the results to understand and plan, not to settle a dispute or replace professional guidance.
We work to keep the methods and any figures accurate and well-sourced, but the output depends entirely on the inputs you provide and on assumptions that may not match your situation. Where a result touches a legal question — such as whether a balance must be paid out — treat it as a prompt to verify, not as a conclusion.