Long Service Leave Calculator: Free Tool for NSW, Vic, Qld, WA

You’ve stuck with the same employer for years, and a long service leave calculator can help you figure out what you’re owed. But the rules change depending on which Australian state you work in, and many employees miss out on their full entitlement because they don’t know how the pro-rata formula works.

Long service leave entitlement after 10 years (Australia): 8.6667 weeks (NSW) ·
Long service leave after 7 years (Australia): Typically 6.0667 weeks (NSW) ·
Maximum long service leave payment (federal/NES): Capped at 13 weeks after 15 years ·
Long service leave calculator use per year: Over 50,000 queries per month (estimated)

The table above shows that while most states converge on 8.6667 weeks, South Australia’s 13-week figure stands out as the most generous across the country.

How many weeks do you get for 10 years of service?

After 10 years of continuous service with the same employer, most Australian workers are entitled to 8.6667 weeks of long service leave. This figure applies in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory, according to LeaveBalance (Australian leave entitlement tool). South Australia is the exception: workers there get a full 13 weeks after 10 years. The ACT starts its clock earlier — employees qualify for 6.0667 weeks after just 7 years.

Pro-rata after 7 years

• NSW, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia allow pro-rata access after 7 years of service (LeaveBalance (Australian leave entitlement tool))
• Formula: (7 ÷ 10) × 8.6667 = 6.0667 weeks
• The ACT also provides 6.0667 weeks after 7 years, but as a full entitlement, not pro-rata (Indeed Hiring (employment compliance guide))

What this means: If you leave your job after 7 years in NSW, you don’t walk away empty-handed. But the payment is roughly 30% less than the 10-year amount — a trade-off worth knowing before you resign.

How to calculate the long service?

The core formula is the same across every Australian jurisdiction: (completed years of service ÷ qualifying period) × full entitlement. For a worker in NSW with 8 years of service, that’s (8 ÷ 10) × 8.6667 = 6.9334 weeks. For Victoria (which uses a 7-year qualifying period), the same worker would be entitled to (8 ÷ 7) × 8.6667 = 9.9048 weeks — already above the 10-year cap for most states.

What is the formula for calculating leave?

The table highlights how Victoria’s 7-year qualifying period means a worker with 9 years of service there gets 100% of the leave, while a NSW worker with the same tenure gets only 86.67%.

How do I calculate leave entitlement?

For part-time employees, the same formula applies but the hours worked are prorated. If a part-time worker in Queensland works 20 hours per week, their entitlement remains 8.6667 weeks at 20 hours per week — not at the full-time equivalent. The LeaveBalance tool allows you to input weekly hours to get an accurate figure.

Why this matters: Even a 0.01-week error in rounding can cost AU$15–30 per week of leave. Over a 10-week payout, that’s up to AU$300.

How much leave do you get after 10 years of service?

Across Australia, the standard 10-year entitlement is 8.6667 weeks in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory (for non-award employees). Victoria gives the same 8.6667 weeks but after 7 years, so a 10-year worker there has already used their full entitlement (if taken). South Australia and the Northern Territory (under some awards) push it to 13 weeks. The ACT stays at 6.0667 weeks after 7 years, with no extra after 10 years unless the employer’s policy is more generous.

What do you get after 7 years of service?

• NSW, Qld, WA: 6.0667 weeks (pro-rata)
• Victoria: 8.6667 weeks (full entitlement)
• ACT: 6.0667 weeks (full entitlement)
• SA, NT, Tas: no entitlement before 10 years

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer because each state’s legislation — from the NSW Long Service Leave Act 1955 to the Victorian Long Service Leave Act 2018 — sets its own qualifying period and pro-rata rules.

The trade-off: Early access states (Vic, ACT) front-load entitlements, making them attractive for mobile workers. Delayed-access states (SA, NT) reward longer tenure with a bigger lump sum.

What is the maximum amount of long service payment?

The highest standard entitlement under Australian law is 13 weeks after 15 years of continuous service, as outlined in the National Employment Standards (NES) for award-covered employees. This cap applies in South Australia (after 10 years already) and the Northern Territory. In other states, the NES cap of 13 weeks after 15 years is a common benchmark, though some enterprise agreements may exceed it.

There is no legislated dollar cap on the payment — the maximum is simply 13 weeks multiplied by the employee’s ordinary weekly wage. For a worker earning AU$100,000 a year, that’s a maximum payout of AU$25,000. However, Indeed Hiring (employment compliance guide) notes that some awards cap the weekly wage used in the calculation to the base rate, potentially lowering the payout.

The implication: The 13-week cap is a ceiling, but few employees ever reach it — you need 15 years of continuous service, and most Australian workers change jobs every 3–4 years.

How do I calculate leave entitlement?

To calculate your exact long service leave entitlement, follow these steps:

1. Determine your start date and count the exact years of continuous service with the same employer.
2. Identify your state and its qualifying period (7 or 10 years) and full entitlement (8.6667 or 13 weeks).
3. Apply the pro-rata formula: (years of service ÷ qualifying period) × full entitlement.
4. Adjust for part-time hours by multiplying the result by (weekly hours worked ÷ standard full-time hours).
5. Use a state-approved calculator for rounding and accuracy: NSW, Vic, Qld, and WA all offer official online tools.

How to calculate long service leave for part-time workers

Part-time and casual employees accrue long service leave at the same rate as full-time workers, but the payment is based on the hours actually worked. A part-time employee working 3 days a week will receive 8.6667 weeks of pay at their part-time rate. The LeaveBalance calculator accepts hours input to handle this automatically. If you prefer Excel, the formula is: =ROUND((years/qualifying)*entitlement*weekly_hours, 2).

Tax on long service leave

Long service leave payments are taxed as ordinary income at your marginal rate. However, if the leave is paid out on termination, it may be subject to a concessional tax treatment under the Employment Termination Payment (ETP) rules for the portion exceeding the accrued leave that would have been taken. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) treats the payment as salary and wages for the current year. For precise figures, consult a tax professional.

In New South Wales, employees receive 2 months (8.67 weeks) of long service leave after 10 years of continuous service.

— NSW Government Long Service Leave website

Western Australia uses the same 8.6667 weeks after 10 years with pro-rata after 7 years.

— Government of Western Australia Long Service Leave Overview

For the Australian worker planning their career timeline, the choice between states is clear: stay in Victoria or the ACT for faster access to long service leave, but head to South Australia or the Northern Territory for the largest lump sum after a decade. Use the state calculators to get exact figures, and remember — a few decimal places can change your payout by hundreds of dollars.

Frequently asked questions

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