PTO Payout Calculator
Calculate the estimated cash value of unused paid time off. Enter your PTO balance and hourly pay rate, or use your annual salary to estimate an hourly rate and PTO payout.
Calculate PTO Payout
Choose how you are paid, enter your unused PTO, and calculate its estimated gross value.
Your details
52 is commonly used when annual salary covers the full year. Change this if a different number is appropriate for your calculation.
Used to convert PTO days into hours.
Use 100% for full value, or enter a lower percentage if your policy pays only part of the calculated PTO value.
Estimated payout
Worked calculation
80 hours × $25.00 × 100% = $2,000.00
Your estimated gross PTO payout is $2,000.00.
This calculator estimates the monetary value of PTO from the figures you enter. Whether unused PTO must be paid, how it is valued, and what deductions apply can depend on employer policy, employment terms and applicable law.
How the PTO Payout Calculator Works
The PTO payout calculator estimates the gross cash value of unused paid time off. For an hourly employee, the basic calculation multiplies unused PTO hours by the hourly rate of pay.
If you are salaried, the calculator first estimates an hourly rate from your annual salary, regular weekly hours and paid working weeks per year. It then uses that hourly rate to calculate the value of your PTO.
You can also enter a payout percentage. This is useful when you want to calculate a payout that is less than 100% of the estimated PTO value.
What PTO Balance Should You Enter?
Enter the unused PTO balance that you want to value. This may be shown on a payslip, payroll system, employee portal or leave record.
If you are estimating a payout when leaving a job, check whether the balance shown represents the amount of leave actually accrued up to your leaving date. Your annual allowance and your accrued balance are not necessarily the same if you leave part-way through a leave year.
The calculator does not calculate PTO or holiday entitlement. It calculates the estimated monetary value of the unused hours or days that you enter.
PTO Payout Formula
PTO payout = PTO hours × hourly rate × payout percentage
When the PTO balance is entered in days:
PTO hours = PTO days × hours per PTO day
For an annual salary:
Hourly rate = annual salary ÷ (hours per week × paid weeks per year)
PTO Payout Example
Suppose an employee has 80 hours of unused PTO and earns $25 per hour. If the payout is calculated at 100% of the PTO value:
80 × $25 × 100% = $2,000
Estimated gross PTO payout: $2,000
If the payout percentage were 50% instead, the same PTO balance would have an estimated payout of $1,000.
Calculating PTO Payout From an Annual Salary
A salaried employee may not have an hourly pay rate stated directly. In that case, an hourly equivalent can be estimated from annual salary and working hours.
For example, an annual salary of $52,000, based on 40 hours per week and 52 paid weeks per year, gives:
$52,000 ÷ (40 × 52) = $25 per hour
If the employee has 40 unused PTO hours at a 100% payout rate:
40 × $25 = $1,000
Estimated gross PTO payout: $1,000
Which Pay Rate Should Be Used for PTO Payout?
This calculator values PTO using the hourly rate entered or, for salaried workers, an hourly equivalent calculated from annual salary and working hours.
An employer may be required to use a different method when calculating an actual holiday or PTO payment. Depending on the applicable rules and employment terms, holiday pay may sometimes take account of average earnings, regular overtime, commission or other elements of normal pay.
If you are checking an actual payment, use the pay rate or holiday-pay calculation required by your employer's policy, employment terms and the rules that apply in your location.
Gross PTO Payout vs. Take-Home Amount
The result from this calculator is an estimated gross PTO payout. It does not calculate payroll taxes, withholding, deductions or other amounts that could affect the money actually received.
This distinction is useful when you calculate PTO payout: the mathematical value of the unused time and the eventual take-home payment are not necessarily the same amount.
Does Unused PTO Have to Be Paid Out?
This calculator does not determine whether you are legally entitled to a PTO payout.
Rules concerning unused paid time off can vary according to location, employer policy, employment agreement and the circumstances in which employment ends. Some employers may also distinguish between vacation, combined PTO and other forms of leave.
Check the applicable employer policy, employment terms and official guidance for your location if you need to determine whether unused PTO is payable.
Official guidance also differs by country. For example, see GOV.UK guidance on untaken holiday when leaving a job or the U.S. Department of Labor guidance on vacation leave .
Limitations
This calculator estimates the monetary value of an unused PTO balance from the figures entered. It does not calculate your legal leave entitlement or determine whether unused leave must be paid.
The actual amount payable can depend on employment terms, employer policy, applicable law, the type of leave, the method used to calculate holiday pay and whether additional elements such as regular overtime or commission must be included.
Results are gross estimates and do not include income tax, payroll withholding, National Insurance or other deductions.
PTO Payout FAQs
How do I calculate PTO payout?
Convert the unused PTO balance to hours if necessary, multiply the PTO hours by the applicable hourly rate, and then multiply by the payout percentage. For example, 40 hours at $25 per hour and a 100% payout gives an estimated gross payout of $1,000.
Can I calculate PTO payout from a salary?
Yes. This calculator can estimate an hourly rate from annual salary, regular hours per week and paid working weeks per year. The resulting hourly rate is then applied to the unused PTO hours.
Can I enter PTO in days instead of hours?
Yes. Select days and enter the number of hours that represent one PTO day. The calculator converts the balance to hours before calculating the payout.
What does payout percentage mean?
The payout percentage controls how much of the calculated PTO value is included in the estimate. A value of 100% uses the full calculated value, while 50% uses half of it.
Does this calculator include tax?
No. The calculator shows an estimated gross PTO payout before taxes, withholding and other possible deductions.
Does my employer have to pay unused PTO?
This calculator cannot determine that. PTO payout requirements can depend on applicable law, employer policy and employment terms. Check the rules and policies that apply to your situation.