✓ 2026 figures · October 2026 · 4-min read
How Many Sick Days Do Employees Get in 2026?
The short answer
There is no single US number, because there's no federal law requiring private employers to offer paid sick leave. The real baseline: the median private-sector worker with 1+ year of service gets 7 paid sick days a year (BLS, 2026). Workers in state-mandated plans often get more, federal contractors get a specific formula, and employers with 'paid time off' (PTO) banks often bundle sick days in with vacation — which is why your actual number depends on your state, your contract, and how your accrual works, not a national average.
The 2026 averages, in one table
| Group | Typical sick days / year |
|---|---|
| Median private worker, 1+ yr service (BLS) | 7 days |
| State-mandated minimum (CA, NY, WA, IL, etc.) | 3–5 days (48–56 hrs), accrue as earned |
| Federal contractors (EO 13706) | 7 days (1 hr per 30 hrs worked) |
| State/local government / union plans | 10–15 days |
| Professional / office roles (PTO banks) | 5–10 combined with vacation |
BLS National Compensation Survey, private industry, 2026. State figures are the statutory minimums — employers routinely grant more. A 'day' is typically 8 hours, though healthcare and retail often use 12 or 7.5.
The difference between 'sick days' and an accrual rate
Some employers hand you a flat grant each year: 'You have 7 sick days.' Others accrue the time as you work — most commonly 1 hour per 30 hours worked (the federal-contractor standard), or a flat chunk per pay period, like 4.6 hours every two weeks. That 4.6×26 rhythm works out to about 60 hours a year ≈ 7.5 days. The distinction matters because accrued time belongs to you as you earn it, carries forward when your plan allows, and can't simply be taken away at the plan year boundary the way a 'use-it-or-lose-it' grant can.
State rules: who's required to provide it
- 20+ states and many cities now mandate it: California, New York, Washington, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, Michigan, and more all have paid-sick-leave laws, generally starting at 40–56 hours a year (roughly 5–7 days) with accrual from day one.
- Cities often outpace states: New York City, Seattle, Chicago, and Denver impose their own minimums — sometimes better than the state rule.
- Federal contractors: Executive Order 13706 guarantees 1 hour per 30 hours worked, capped at 56 hours a year for most, and it's tracked separately from vacation.
- Exempt vs. non-exempt: both usually accrue, but the bank and carryover rules differ — check your handbook for the actual 'cap' number.
How carryover works (the part most people get wrong)
Roughly half of employers cap the bank you can carry into the next year — common caps are 40–80 hours. Under the accrual model, you keep earning even up against the cap, but the balance stops rising once you hit it, so unused time can effectively 'expire.' In most mandated states, employers are required to let at least a year's worth of the statutory minimum carry over, but they can still cap on top of that. The practical takeaway: don't hoard sick time you'll never use if your plan caps it, and don't burn it thoughtlessly if it rolls over and pays out — each employer's handbook is the real authority.
How to check your own number
Your balance isn't a mystery — it's accrual math. Current balance + (accrual rate × pay periods until your date), clamped to your carryover cap. Run the calculator below with your accrual rate and cap to see exactly how many days you'll have banked by mid-year, year-end, or any date you're planning around — and what your 'annual accrual' figure actually is in days, which is the number to compare against the national average and to know before you negotiate.
See exactly how much sick time you'll have accrued by any date — including when your plan's carryover cap stops the meter.
Open the calculator →Frequently asked questions
How many sick days does the average US employee get?
The median private-sector worker with 1+ year of service gets about 7 paid sick days a year (BLS, 2026). Workers covered by state mandates typically get the statutory 3–5 days minimum but often more, and professional/PTO-bank roles commonly have 5–10 days combined with vacation.
Is sick leave required by law in the US?
Not federally for private employers — there's no national paid-sick-leave law as of 2026. But 20+ states and many cities now mandate it (CA, NY, WA, IL, CO, OR, MI and more), so your requirement depends on where you work. Federal contractors are covered by Executive Order 13706.
How is sick time usually accrued?
Two common models: a flat annual grant ('you have 7 days'), or gradual accrual — most commonly 1 hour per 30 hours worked (the federal standard) or a flat amount per pay period like 4.6 hours biweekly, which equals roughly 60 hours ≈ 7.5 days a year.
What happens to unused sick days?
It depends on your plan's carryover cap. About half of employers cap the bank you can carry (commonly 40–80 hours), so time above the cap effectively expires. Mandated states generally require at least the statutory year's minimum to carry over. Some plans pay out a fraction of unused time at termination — but caps still govern how much you can bank.