Long Service Leave Calculator Australia 2026-27
Use this long service leave calculator Australia-wide: pick your state or territory, enter your service and pay, and see your accrued leave, its dollar value, and whether it would pay out if you left today.
Last updated: July 2026 · All 8 state & territory LSL laws verified · FY 2026–27
Got your number? Two things worth checking next
→ Your state’s rules vs the rest — all 8 jurisdictions compared, including the pro-rata traps. → Your annual leave balance too — the other leave that converts to money when you go.How Long Service Leave Accrues
Long service leave is state law, so the calculator’s first question is where you work. Six of the eight jurisdictions accrue at effectively the same rate — 8⅔ weeks per 10 years (about 0.87 weeks a year) — while South Australia and the Northern Territory pay 1.3 weeks per year, half again as much. Victoria and the ACT let you take the leave from 7 years; everywhere else the full entitlement arrives at 10.
The number that actually changes decisions is the pro-rata threshold. Below it, leaving means zero. Above it — but before full qualification — most states pay out only when the exit is involuntary or forced by life: illness, pressing domestic necessity, redundancy, employer termination without serious misconduct. Victoria is the exception, paying out from 7 years on any exit including plain resignation. If you’re at 6 years and 10 months anywhere in Australia, that arithmetic deserves a look before you sign another offer.
Leave is valued at your ordinary pay — normal weekly hours at your ordinary rate, excluding overtime and penalty rates (casual loading generally counts for casuals). Casuals and part-timers accrue in every jurisdiction, usually via hours-averaging formulas; and if you’re in building and construction, contract cleaning, community services or coal mining, a portable scheme may carry your service between employers — check your industry scheme before assuming the standard rules apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state’s law applies if I work remotely or moved?
Broadly, the jurisdiction where you’re employed — where the work is done — not where head office sits. Interstate moves within the same employer usually keep service continuous, but which Act governs the entitlement can shift; if you’ve worked across borders for one employer, it’s worth confirming with the state regulator before making decisions on the numbers.
Does unpaid leave or parental leave break my continuous service?
Generally no — approved absences don’t break continuity, though some (like unpaid leave in SA) don’t count toward the accrual clock. A genuine gap — quitting and coming back — usually resets it, with limited exceptions for casuals re-engaged within their state’s window. Continuity rules are the fine print that decides borderline cases; your state’s source (linked below) spells them out.
I’m casual — do I really accrue long service leave?
Yes, in every jurisdiction — unlike annual leave, long service leave doesn’t care that you’re casual. NSW’s law covers casuals explicitly, Queensland pays them at their loaded rate, Victoria counts seasonal and casual service, and Tasmania deems casuals continuous if they work at least 32 hours in each consecutive four-week period. The catch is continuity: long gaps between engagements can break the chain.
Can I cash it out without taking the leave?
Mostly no while employed — Victoria makes cashing out an offence, and most states only convert leave to money on termination. South Australia is the notable exception: after 10 years you can cash out by signed written agreement. On termination, accrued leave converts to money everywhere, subject to each state’s threshold and conditions.
Also in Australia:
📋 Entitlements verified — Official sources: NSW · VIC · QLD · WA · SA · TAS · ACT · NT
⚠️ This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. KnowMyGovt is an independent service with no affiliation with or endorsement by any state or territory government or the Australian Government, and is not responsible for decisions you make based on it.
