Final Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your final paycheck after quitting or being let go. Add unpaid hours, overtime, and unused PTO to see your gross pay and take-home.
Final Paycheck Calculator
Hourly Rate
Unpaid Hours in Final Period
Unused PTO / Vacation
Your state or employer may not require PTO payout, so payout is shown as $0.
Other Owed Pay
Tax Estimate Method
Estimates only. Not tax or legal advice. Final pay rules and PTO payout requirements vary by state.
Check Your Final Pay to the Cent
ClockWage44 logs your shifts across multiple jobs and turns federal tax, state tax, FICA, overtime, and deductions into an exact take-home figure on your device, so you can see what your last paycheck should be.
How to calculate your final paycheck
Your final paycheck is the sum of everything your employer still owes you on the day the job ends. It comes down to four pieces, and this calculator follows the same four. There are the unpaid regular hours you worked since your last paycheck through your termination date, valued at your hourly rate. There's any overtime you put in during that final period, paid at your overtime rate (usually 1.5 times regular pay for hours past 40 in a workweek, or 2x for double time). There's a payout for unused PTO or vacation, where your state or employer requires it. And there's other owed pay such as a bonus, an earned commission, or an expense reimbursement.
Add those four together and you have your gross final pay. From there, the calculator subtracts an estimate of tax withholding to land on your take-home, which is the number most people care about when they quit or get let go. Here's a worked example: at $25/hr with 18 unpaid regular hours, 4 overtime hours at 1.5x, and 40 unused PTO hours that are paid out, gross is $450 regular + $150 overtime + $1,000 PTO = $1,600 before any other pay. The take-home line then applies the withholding estimate on top.
How unused PTO and vacation payout works
The PTO payout math is straightforward: your hourly rate multiplied by your unused PTO or vacation hours. At $25/hr with 40 unused hours, that is a $1,000 payout. If your balance is tracked in hours and minutes rather than a clean decimal, convert it first with our decimal hours converter so the multiplication does not drift.
Whether you get that payout at all depends on your state and your employer's policy. Some states treat accrued vacation as earned wages that have to be paid out when you leave, while others let company policy decide. That is what the Yes / No toggle is for: switch it to No and the payout drops to $0 even if you entered PTO hours, so you can compare both ways. When a PTO payout is paid as a separate supplemental wage, employers usually withhold federal income tax at the flat 22% rate, plus Social Security at 6.2% and Medicare at 1.45%, which lands around 29.65% total. That blended rate is the default tax estimate here.
When is your final paycheck due: quitting vs. fired
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets no specific deadline for a final paycheck, so state law controls the timing, and it often differs depending on whether you quit or were fired. As a rule of thumb, workers who are terminated are owed sooner than those who resign. California, for example, requires immediate payment when an employer ends the job and within 72 hours when an employee quits. Texas, on the other hand, gives a fired employee's pay a six-day window and ties a resigning employee's final pay to the next regular payday.
The pay you are owed is the same set of components either way: unpaid wages, overtime, any required PTO payout, and other owed pay. What changes between quitting and being fired is usually the deadline, not the amount. Treat the state examples above as illustrations rather than legal advice, and check your own state's rule for the exact timing that applies to you. If your last week included overtime, our overtime calculator breaks that premium out on its own.
Track every hour so your final paycheck is right
The only way to know your final paycheck is right is to keep your own record of the hours behind it. ClockWage44 logs your shifts across multiple jobs and turns federal tax, state tax, FICA, overtime rules, and deductions into an exact take-home figure on your device, so you can compare what your employer pays against what you should have earned, down to the cent. No accounts, no servers, no tracking.
If your employer does not pay your final paycheck on time, you can file a wage claim with your state labor agency, and some states add waiting-time penalties or multiplied damages. A clean log of your hours and accrued PTO is what lets you document exactly what you are owed. Keep in mind that the figures here are estimates only, not tax or legal advice, and that final pay rules vary by state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about final paycheck calculator
How is a final paycheck calculated?
Add up the pay you are still owed: unpaid regular hours, any overtime worked in your last period, unused PTO or vacation payout (where required), and other owed pay like a bonus, commission, or reimbursement. That total is your gross final pay. Subtract estimated tax withholding to get your take-home. If you only need the overtime piece, our overtime calculator breaks it out separately.
Is my final paycheck taxed differently?
No, a final paycheck is taxed like regular wages. When a PTO payout or bonus is paid as a separate supplemental wage, employers often withhold federal income tax at the flat 22% supplemental rate, plus Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%), which comes to about 29.65% total. Your actual annual tax bill is settled when you file.
Do employers have to pay out unused PTO or vacation when I leave?
It depends on your state and your employer's policy. Some states treat accrued vacation as earned wages that have to be paid out when you leave, while others leave it to company policy. Because not every state requires a payout, the Yes / No toggle in this calculator lets you check both ways.
When do I have to receive my final paycheck after quitting or being fired?
The federal FLSA sets no specific deadline, so it varies by state. Workers who are fired are often owed sooner than those who quit. California, for example, requires immediate payment when you are fired and within 72 hours when you quit. Check your own state's rule for the exact timing.
Is the final paycheck different if I quit vs. get fired?
The pay components are the same either way: unpaid wages, overtime, any required PTO payout, and other owed pay. What usually differs is the deadline. Many states require a faster payout when an employer ends the job than when an employee resigns.
How is unused PTO payout calculated?
Multiply your hourly rate by your unused PTO or vacation hours. At $25/hr with 40 unused hours, that is $1,000. If your logged time is in hours and minutes, convert it first with our decimal hours converter so the multiplication is clean.
Does my final paycheck include overtime I worked in my last week?
Yes. Overtime you earned in your final period has to be paid at your overtime rate, usually 1.5 times your regular rate for hours past 40 in a workweek. Enter those hours and pick your multiplier above, or use the overtime calculator for a fuller breakdown.
What can I do if my employer doesn't pay my final paycheck?
You can file a wage claim with your state labor agency. Some states add waiting-time penalties or multiplied damages when an employer fails to pay a final paycheck on time. Keep your own records of hours worked and accrued PTO so you can document what you are owed.