Estimate the gross dollar value of unused PTO hours that you have already confirmed are eligible for payment. Enter the eligible hours, the applicable hourly payout rate and the portion paid under your plan. This calculator does not decide whether your employer must pay unused time when employment ends.
Gross PTO payout estimate
Change the inputs to see the estimate. Calculations stay in your browser.
Gross arithmetic estimate before withholding. Enter only hours and a rate that you have confirmed are payable under applicable law, policy or agreement. The tool does not determine entitlement or the payment deadline.
How to calculate a PTO payout
Estimated gross payout = eligible unused hours × applicable hourly payout rate × portion paid ÷ 100. If 40 eligible hours are paid at $25 per hour in full, the gross estimate is $1,000. If an applicable rule pays 50% of those eligible hours, the arithmetic is $500. The percentage is an input from a confirmed rule, not a prediction of what you will receive.
Check these three inputs first
- Eligible hours: Start with your final confirmed balance and identify which hours the applicable policy or law treats as payable. Vacation, sick leave and a combined PTO bank may be treated differently. Do not enter your entire balance merely because it appears on a pay stub.
- Hourly payout rate: Use the rate the applicable rule requires. If you are salaried, ask payroll how the payout rate is derived; dividing annual salary by a guessed number of hours may produce the wrong figure. A raise or multiple rates can also matter.
- Portion paid: Leave this at 100% only if every hour entered is paid at the full applicable rate. If you have already reduced the eligible hours to reflect a partial payment, do not reduce the percentage again.
The figure is gross, before tax withholding and other lawful deductions. Your net check can be lower. Payment timing and final-pay rules are separate questions that the calculator does not address.
Does unused PTO have to be paid out?
There is no single U.S. federal FLSA rule requiring paid vacation or a payout of every unused balance. State law, the type of leave, a collective bargaining agreement and an employer’s written policy can change the answer. For example, California treats earned vacation as wages and generally requires payment of vested unused vacation when employment ends. New York directs workers to the employer’s vacation policy; where that policy is silent on forfeiture, accrued vacation generally must be paid. Those examples do not establish the rule for your workplace. Check the labor agency for the state where you worked and the current policy or agreement before entering payable hours.
Leaving a job in California? Read our California vacation and PTO payout guide to distinguish earned vacation, combined PTO and separate sick leave before estimating the gross amount.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use this for sick leave?
Only after confirming that the particular sick leave hours are payable. Sick leave and vacation may have different payout rules even when an employer displays them together.
Should I enter my total PTO balance?
Enter only the unused hours that are eligible for payout. The PTO balance calculator can help reconcile a running balance, but its result does not establish payout eligibility.
How do I estimate newly accrued hours?
If your plan accrues equally by pay period, use the PTO accrual calculator and compare its result with your employer’s final record. Do not add projected future accrual to the payable balance.
Does the result include taxes or tell me when I will be paid?
No. It shows a gross arithmetic estimate. Withholding, deductions and the payment deadline depend on facts and rules outside the inputs.
Sources and methodology
Reviewed October 7, 2026. The formula uses only values you enter, runs in your browser and does not send your figures to the site. Legal context: U.S. Department of Labor, vacation leave; California Labor Commissioner, vacation FAQ; New York Department of Labor, wages and hours FAQ. This educational estimate is not legal, tax or payroll advice.