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Tools · PTO Payout

Washington PTO Payout Checker (2026)

Whether Washington makes an employer pay out accrued, unused vacation or PTO when a job ends, applied to your own hours and rate.

Draft entry: figures pending source verification.Last reviewed 2026-07-12.

Washington PTO payout checker

PTO payout · Washington

The accrued, unused balance on your last pay stub or in the HR portal. One vacation day is usually 8 hours.

Salaried? Divide your annual salary by 2,080 (52 weeks of 40 hours) for an hourly figure.

Draft entry: figures pending source verification. Confirm with the official source before relying on this result.
Washington rule applied to your numbers
Does Washington require the payout?
Only if the policy provides it
Washington has no statute requiring vacation or PTO payout at separation. When an employer's policy or agreement promises a payout, that promise is treated as part of the agreed wages and must be honored.
What that time is worth
$0
Enter your hours and rate above to put a dollar figure on the unused time.
Where the rule comes from
No Washington statute addresses vacation payout at separation. RCW 49.48.010 governs final-wage timing; L&I guidance applies the employer's policy.
The fine print
Use-it-or-lose-it policies are allowed if clearly communicated. Paid sick leave under the state sick-leave law follows separate rules: no required payout at separation, but the balance is reinstated if the worker is rehired within 12 months.
Your employer's policy is the document that decides

In Washington, what the handbook, offer letter, or contract says about unused vacation at separation is what controls. Read it before counting on a payout, and keep a copy: a promise in writing is what makes the amount collectible.

Enter your unused hours and your rate to see the Washington rule on your numbers.

When the final check itself is due is a separate deadline: the Washington final paycheck checker shows it for a quit and for a firing.

Informational only, not legal advice. Sick leave, commissions, and bonuses follow different rules, and collective bargaining agreements can change the answer. For the timing rules and citations on the check itself, see the Washington final paycheck reference; this record is cited to No Washington statute addresses vacation payout at separation. RCW 49.48.010 governs final-wage timing; L&I guidance applies the employer's policy..

How the Washington rule works

Washington has no statute requiring vacation or PTO payout at separation. When an employer's policy or agreement promises a payout, that promise is treated as part of the agreed wages and must be honored. Use-it-or-lose-it policies are allowed if clearly communicated. Paid sick leave under the state sick-leave law follows separate rules: no required payout at separation, but the balance is reinstated if the worker is rehired within 12 months.

This checker states the rule and prices your unused hours; it is informational only and not legal advice, and it does not decide whether your employer owes you. The other half of the question, when the final check itself must arrive, is covered by the Washington final paycheck checker and the Washington final paycheck reference.

PTO payout checkers for other states

Same tool, each with its own rule.