PTO Payout Calculator

How the PTO payout math works

When you leave a job — or your company cashes out unused vacation at year end — the gross payout is simple multiplication: accrued PTO hours × your hourly rate of pay. If you're hourly, that's the rate on your pay stub. If you're salaried, the calculator converts your annual salary into an hourly figure by dividing by the hours in a standard work year — 2,080 by default (40 hours × 52 weeks). Both that divisor and the hours-per-workday assumption are editable, so you can match your employer's exact method. Everything runs privately in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.

What the payout does and doesn't include

The number shown is gross — before federal and state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare come out. PTO payouts are usually treated as supplemental wages, so withholding can look heavier than a normal paycheck. Whether you're owed a payout at all depends on state law and company policy: some states require paying out accrued vacation, others defer to the employee handbook, and sick time is often excluded.

How to use it

1. Choose whether you're paid an hourly rate or an annual salary, and enter the amount.
2. Enter your accrued, unused PTO hours — you'll find them on your latest pay stub or HR portal.
3. Salaried? Adjust the hours-in-work-year figure if your employer uses something other than 2,080.
4. Read the cards: gross payout, the effective hourly rate used, and your balance expressed in days.

Estimates only — not financial, tax, or legal advice. Actual payouts depend on state law, company policy, and payroll withholding.

FAQ

Is my employer required to pay out unused PTO?

It depends on your state. California, Colorado, and Montana treat accrued vacation as earned wages that must be paid out; many others enforce whatever the written policy says, including use-it-or-lose-it rules.

How much tax will come out of a PTO payout?

PTO cash-outs are usually supplemental wages: many employers withhold a flat 22% federal rate plus Social Security, Medicare, and state tax, so take-home is often roughly 60-75% of the gross shown.

Why divide salary by 2,080?

2,080 is the standard full-time work year: 40 hours a week × 52 weeks. If you work 37.5-hour weeks (1,950 hours) or your employer uses another divisor, edit the field to match.

Does this tool store my pay information?

No. All math happens locally in your browser — nothing is uploaded, saved, or shared.