Annual Leave Calculator
Work out how much paid annual leave you have accrued, in hours, days and dollars. Full-time and part-time employees accrue four weeks of their ordinary hours a year under the National Employment Standards, from the first day of employment.
Your details
Annual leave accrued
152.0 hours
- Entitlement
- 4 weeks of ordinary hours
- Hours accrued
- 152.00 hours
- Equivalent weeks off
- 4.00
- Equivalent days, at 5 a week
- 20.0
- Value at your base rate
- $5,320.00
- Accrued per week worked
- 2.923 hours
Casual employees do not accrue paid annual leave. Leave accrues from the first day including probation, and rolls over year to year.
Worked examples, with the arithmetic.
The same sums the tool runs, on real figures. Every number below is computed by the tested engine from the published rates, so the prose and the tool can never disagree.
How much leave does a 38-hour week accrue in a year?
38 hours x 4 weeks = 152 hours a year 152 / 52 weeks = 2.923 hours for each week worked
A full-time employee on a 38-hour week accrues 152 hours of paid annual leave a year, which is exactly four weeks of their own ordinary hours. It builds up at about 2.923 hours for every week worked, from the first day including probation.
What does a 20-hour part-time week accrue?
20 hours x 4 weeks = 80 hours a year 80 / 20 = 4 weeks off, the same entitlement
80 hours, which is still four weeks for that person. The entitlement is four weeks of your ordinary hours, so part-time employees get the same number of weeks off as full-time employees, just fewer hours in each one.
Is this accurate, and how does it work?
The method is published rather than described. Nothing here is a black box, and the limits are listed as plainly as the workings.
- 1Four weeks of your ordinary hours. The entitlement is four weeks, expressed in the hours you ordinarily work. A 38-hour week accrues 152 hours a year. A 20-hour week accrues 80 hours, which is still four weeks for that person.
- 2Accrue progressively from day one. Leave builds up gradually across the year, including during a probation period, and unused leave rolls over rather than expiring.
- 3Add the fifth week only where the award says so. Some shiftworkers get five weeks, but only where the award or agreement includes shiftwork provisions and defines them as a shiftworker for this purpose. It is not automatic for anyone who works shifts.
What this does not cover.
- It calculates accrual and its value at your base rate. It does not calculate the tax on a leave payout at termination, which the ATO taxes under separate rules.
- It does not include annual leave loading, which is award-dependent and has its own page on this site.
- It assumes steady ordinary hours. Irregular part-time hours accrue on the hours actually worked.
- It does not model leave already taken or cashed out, only what accrues over the period you enter.
Where these figures come from.
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Annual leave, the source gave its own last updated date as 2026-08-07. Retrieved 2026-09-11.
Every rate this site uses is listed on the Methodology page.
Common questions.
How much annual leave do I accrue per year?
Four weeks of your ordinary hours. On a 38-hour week that is 152 hours a year, which works out to about 2.923 hours for each week worked. Part-time employees accrue the same four weeks measured against their own ordinary hours.
Do casual employees get annual leave?
No. Casual employees do not accrue paid annual leave under the National Employment Standards. The casual loading, usually 25%, is paid partly in compensation for that.
Does annual leave expire?
No. Unused annual leave rolls over from year to year and must be paid out when your employment ends. An employer can direct you to take leave in some situations, such as an excessive balance or a Christmas shutdown, but only where the award or agreement allows it.
Does leave accrue while I am on leave?
It accrues while you are on paid leave, including paid annual leave, paid sick and carer’s leave, paid family and domestic violence leave, community service leave and long service leave. It does not accrue on unpaid leave, including unpaid parental leave.
Related pages.
- Leave Loading CalculatorWork out annual leave loading on a period of leave, and check whether the 17.5% figure actually applies to you.
- Casual LoadingCasual loading is 25 per cent in every award we publish. What differs is whether the award prints the casual rate or leaves it to be derived.
- Pro Rata Salary CalculatorWork out a part-time salary from a full-time figure and the hours actually worked, with take-home pay after income tax and the Medicare levy.
- Award Pay RatesModern award minimum pay rates by industry, how classification levels and pay points work, and how casual loading and penalty rates change what you earn.
Every calculator on this site is listed on the Wage Calculator page.