Selling Leave Days Calculator
Estimate your US military leave sell-back payout from unused leave days — base pay only, the 60-day career limit, and a sell-vs-terminal-leave comparison.
Estimate only — verify with DFAS or your finance office. Not professional financial advice. Leave sell-back rules can change.
Sell-back payout
Each day of leave is worth 1/30 of your monthly base pay. Only basic pay counts — BAH, BAS, and other allowances are excluded.
From your LES. Basic pay only.
We warn if you sell more than you hold.
Counts against the 60-day lifetime cap.
Daily rate
base pay / 30
Gross payout
before tax withholding
Career allowance left
of 60 lifetime days
Tax note: the lump sum is taxed as wages and withholding is taken out before you are paid. The rate depends on your situation — confirm it with your finance office and plan around the net figure, not the gross above.
Career sell-back tracker
You may sell at most 60 days of leave across your entire military career. Every day sold — including at a previous reenlistment — reduces what is left.
Already sold
days
Still sellable
days of 60
Selling at reenlistment (enlisted) counts toward the same 60-day lifetime limit as selling at separation or retirement.
Sell vs terminal leave
Selling pays base pay only, once. Taking terminal leave keeps your full pay plus BAH and BAS flowing for those days. Compare the two values below — this is educational information, not advice.
Sell-back value
base pay only, gross
Take-leave value
base + BAH + BAS kept
Difference
Taking leave is not free money either — you are still on active duty until your separation date, and terminal leave must be approved. Selling means you keep working those days but get a lump sum. Run your own numbers and talk to your finance office.
Rules reference
- Accrual: 2.5 days of leave per month (30 days per year).
- Daily value: 1/30 of monthly basic pay per day (37 U.S.C. 501).
- Base pay only: BAH, BAS, and other allowances are excluded — the most common misconception.
- Career cap: at most 60 days may be sold across your entire career; previously sold days count.
- Carryover cap: at most 60 days carry past October 1; the rest is use-or-lose.
- When: separation with an honorable discharge, retirement, or (enlisted) reenlistment.
- Taxes: the payout is taxed as wages; withholding is taken before you are paid.
Example gross payouts (base pay × days / 30)
| Monthly base pay | 30 days | 45 days | 60 days (max) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | $3,000.00 | $4,500.00 | $6,000.00 |
| $4,000 | $4,000.00 | $6,000.00 | $8,000.00 |
| $5,000 | $5,000.00 | $7,500.00 | $10,000.00 |
| $6,000 | $6,000.00 | $9,000.00 | $12,000.00 |
No pay-grade table is built in on purpose: military pay rates change every year. Find your current monthly base pay on your LES or the official DFAS military pay tables and enter it in the calculator above.
Worked examples (show your work)
Example 1 — sell-back payout
Monthly base pay $4,000, selling 30 days:
- Daily rate = $4,000 ÷ 30 = $133.3333 (displayed as $133.33).
- Gross payout = $133.3333 × 30 = $4,000.00.
- The engine computes with full precision and rounds only for display, so the payout is exactly $4,000.00, not $3,999.90.
Example 2 — sell vs terminal leave
Base pay $4,000, BAH $1,800, BAS $460, 30 days:
- Sell-back = ($4,000 ÷ 30) × 30 = $4,000.00 gross.
- Take-leave value = (($4,000 + $1,800 + $460) ÷ 30) × 30 = ($6,260 ÷ 30) × 30 = $6,260.00.
- Difference = $6,260.00 − $4,000.00 = $2,260.00 — taking the leave is worth $2,260.00 more in this example, because allowances keep flowing.
Both examples are computed by the same engine as the calculator above. Withholding tax is not subtracted — confirm your withholding rate with your finance office.
Frequently asked questions
How is military leave sell-back calculated?
Multiply your monthly base pay by the number of days you sell, then divide by 30. For example, $4,000 of monthly base pay with 30 days sold gives ($4,000 / 30) x 30 = $4,000 gross. Each day of leave is worth one thirtieth of a month of basic pay under 37 U.S.C. 501.
How many days of leave can I sell in my career?
60 days total across your entire military career. Days you already sold, for example at a previous reenlistment, count against that limit, so track your running total in the career tracker tab above.
Is BAH included when I sell back leave?
No. Only basic pay counts toward the payout. BAH, BAS, and every other allowance are excluded by law, which is why selling leave usually pays less per day than simply taking the leave. This is the most common misconception about leave sell-back.
How much leave do I earn each month?
2.5 days per month, or 30 days per year. You may carry up to 60 days into the next fiscal year; any balance above 60 days on October 1 is forfeited as use-or-lose leave.
Is the leave sell-back payout taxed?
Yes. The lump sum is taxed as wages and withholding is taken out before you are paid. The exact withholding rate depends on your situation and can change, so confirm it with your finance office and plan around the net figure, not the gross.
Should I sell my leave or take terminal leave?
Selling pays base pay only, one time, and you keep working. Taking the leave keeps your full pay plus BAH and BAS flowing for those days, and you may be able to start a civilian job while on terminal leave. Use the comparison tab above to run both numbers for your situation. This is educational information, not financial advice.
Can I sell leave when I reenlist?
Enlisted members may sell leave at reenlistment as well as at separation with an honorable discharge or at retirement. Every day sold at reenlistment reduces your lifetime 60-day allowance.
What happens if I have more than 60 days saved?
You still cannot sell more than 60 days in your career, and you cannot carry more than 60 days past October 1. Plan ahead so excess leave is used, not forfeited.
Where do I find my current monthly base pay?
Check your LES or the official DFAS military pay tables for the current year. Pay rates change every year, so this calculator asks for your monthly base pay directly instead of using a built-in table that could go stale.
Is this calculator official?
No. It is an estimate only. Verify every number with DFAS or your finance office before making decisions. Nothing on this page is professional financial advice.
Sources
- 10 U.S.C. § 701(a) — leave accrual: 30 days per year (2.5 days per month).
- 37 U.S.C. § 501 — leave sell-back: valued at 1/30 of base pay per day (no allowances); 60-day lifetime limit.
- Military.com — Should You Sell Back Leave or Take Terminal Leave — 60-day career cap, base-pay-only payment, tax withholding.
- Military.com — Military Annual Leave — 2.5 days/month accrual, 60-day carryover, use-or-lose October 1.
- DFAS — Military Pay Tables — current base pay rates (check the current year).
Estimate only — verify with DFAS or your finance office. Not professional financial advice. Leave sell-back rules and tax withholding can change; this page reflects the rules as understood in October 2026.
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