Leave Payout Calculator Australia 2026-27
Use this leave payout calculator Australia to turn your accrued annual leave balance into dollars — whether you’re resigning, being made redundant, or just checking what your balance is worth.
Last updated: July 2026 · Fair Work Act 2009 ss 87, 90 · FY 2026–27
Got your number? Two things worth checking next
→ Leaving your job? — your redundancy pay and notice come on top of this leave payout. → Every leave type you’re owed — sick, parental, compassionate and more, in one table.How Annual Leave Turns Into Money
Annual leave isn’t a perk — it’s accrued wages in another form. You earn 4 weeks a year (5 for many shiftworkers) under the National Employment Standards, it accrues progressively from your first day, and it never expires. The moment your employment ends, every accrued hour converts to cash: the Fair Work Act requires your employer to pay what you would have received had you taken the leave — which is why loading, where your award pays it, belongs in the payout too.
The two numbers you need are on your payslip: your leave balance in hours and your base hourly rate. Multiply them and you have the floor value of your balance. For a full-timer on a 38-hour week, each week of leave is 38 hours — so a balance of 152 hours is four weeks of pay sitting in reserve.
While you’re employed, that balance is also a buffer worth managing deliberately: it keeps earning at your current rate, so it grows with every pay rise — but a big balance paid out in one lump can be withheld at a higher rate than the same money spread across pay cycles. None of that changes what you’re owed; it changes when checking the payslip matters.
What the Calculator Does
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| Base value | Leave hours × your base hourly rate |
| Leave loading | Added only if your award or agreement provides it — enter its percentage |
| On termination | Paid out in full, whatever the reason you leave · Fair Work Act s 90(2) |
| Tax | Withheld under unused-leave rules — the gross figure here shrinks in the bank |
Worked example: 152 hours × $42.50 = $6,460; with a 17.5% award loading entered, $7,590.50 gross.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does sick leave get paid out too?
Generally no. Personal/carer’s leave accumulates year to year while you’re employed, but on termination it usually vanishes — only annual leave (and long service leave, where state rules say so) must be paid out. That asymmetry is worth knowing before you resign with 400 banked sick hours.
Can my employer make me use up leave instead of paying it out?
While employed, an employer can direct leave only where the award or agreement allows and the direction is reasonable (excessive balances and shutdowns are the classic cases). But once employment ends, the s 90(2) payout is unconditional — accrued leave can’t be confiscated, forfeited or “used up” retroactively.
Can I cash out leave without quitting?
Only if your award or agreement permits it, by written agreement, and the Act’s safeguards apply — including keeping a minimum balance. It’s paid at least at the rate you’d get taking the leave. If your award is silent, cashing out isn’t available and the only conversion event is termination.
Do casuals have annual leave to pay out?
No — casuals don’t accrue annual leave; their casual loading is the trade-off. If you converted from casual to permanent, your balance started accruing at conversion, which is why long-serving converted employees sometimes have smaller balances than they expect.
Also in Australia:
📋 Entitlements verified — Official sources: Fair Work Act 2009 ss 87–94 · Fair Work Ombudsman — P.A.C.T.
⚠️ This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. KnowMyGovt is an independent service with no affiliation with or endorsement by the Fair Work Commission, the Fair Work Ombudsman or the Australian Government, and is not responsible for decisions you make based on it.
