Work hours & pay
PTO cash value calculator
Enter your unused leave days and salary to see what that paid time off is worth in cash.
Use your gross salary. Keep working days at 260 for a standard five-day year, or lower it for part-time work.
How the cash value of unused PTO is calculated
Paid leave is worth whatever you earn on a normal working day, so the first step is a day rate: your gross salary spread across the days you are actually rostered to work in a year, not the full calendar. The cash value is then unused days × day rate. Working days usually land near 260 for a five-day week (52 weeks × 5), before any public holidays, and you can lower that figure for part-time patterns.
With a $52,000 salary over 260 working days, each day is 52,000 ÷ 260 = $200. Ten unused days are therefore 10 × 200 = $2,000, one day is worth $200, and an hour on an eight-hour day is $25. The table converts a few salaries into the value of a single day off at 260 working days.
| Annual salary | Working days | Value of one day |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | 260 | $153.85 |
| $52,000 | 260 | $200.00 |
| $75,000 | 260 | $288.46 |
| $100,000 | 260 | $384.62 |
When that value is actually cash
Seeing the figure helps you decide whether to book the time, carry it over or, where allowed, cash it out, and it makes the cost of letting leave lapse obvious. The catch is that unused PTO is only money in some situations. Many employers run a use-it-or-lose-it policy, so untaken days simply disappear at year end and are worth nothing in cash. Rules on payout also vary by place: a handful of US states, including California, treat accrued vacation as earned wages that must be paid when you leave, while others and many other countries leave it to the contract. Treat this as the gross worth of your time rather than a guaranteed cheque, check your policy, and remember any payout is taxed like ordinary pay.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the cash value of unused vacation?
Divide your annual salary by the working days in a year to get a day rate, then multiply by the unused days. A $52,000 salary over 260 days makes 10 days worth $2,000.
Will my employer pay out unused PTO?
It depends on the policy and local law. Many run use-it-or-lose-it schemes, while some regions require accrued leave to be paid when you leave a job. Check your contract.
How many working days are in a year?
A standard five-day week gives about 260 working days (52 × 5) before public holidays. Part-time schedules are lower, so adjust the figure to match your own week.