Last updated: March 2025
Quick Answer
PTO Accrual Per Period = Annual PTO Days / Pay Periods Per Year. For 15 days/year with biweekly pay: 15 / 26 = 0.58 days per pay period (4.6 hours).
Key Takeaways
- ✓ PTO per Period = Annual Days ÷ Pay Periods/Year
- ✓ Biweekly (26 periods): 15 days/year = ~0.58 days per paycheck
- ✓ Convert to hours: multiply by 8
- ✓ Track accrual to plan vacations and avoid year-end rushes
What Is PTO Accrual?
PTO accrual distributes paid leave gradually throughout the year. Instead of getting all days on January 1st, you earn PTO with each pay period.
Accrual by Pay Schedule
- Weekly (52) — 15 days/year = 0.29 days/week
- Biweekly (26) — 15 days/year = 0.58 days/paycheck
- Semi-monthly (24) — 15 days/year = 0.63 days/paycheck
- Monthly (12) — 15 days/year = 1.25 days/month
PTO Hours
Many payroll systems track in hours: Hours = Days × 8. So 15 days = 120 hours/year.
Policy Considerations
- Accrual caps — Maximum balance (e.g., 1.5× annual allotment)
- Rollover — Does unused PTO carry over or expire?
- Payout — Some states require paying unused PTO on departure
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PTO accrual?
PTO accrual is the rate at which employees earn paid time off. For example, if you get 15 days/year paid biweekly, you accrue 0.577 days per pay period (15 / 26 pay periods).
How many PTO days is standard?
In the US, the average is 10-15 days for new employees, increasing with tenure. Many companies now offer 'unlimited PTO' policies.