Skip to the main content.
Talk to an expert
Talk to an expert
Featured Offer
Ambitious 50 →
6 months of Hire and Engage free for businesses under 50 people.

Hey Compono!

A coach that actually gets you.

Get 10 minutes free, then $15 a month. Cancel anytime.

Get Started ≫
Free tools › Annual leave by country

Annual leave: Australia vs United States

Statutory annual leave in Australia and the US, side by side, with the primary source for every figure.

How does annual leave compare between Australia and US?

Australia: 4 weeks' paid leave a year (5 for defined shiftworkers), accruing from day one, plus 8 national public holidays and state additions. United States: No statutory paid vacation and no statutory paid public holidays. Typical practice is about 11 days after a year, by employer choice. At five years' service that means 4 weeks in Australia and None required (typical practice: 15 days) in the US.

Australia vs United States, side by side

AustraliaUnited States
The rule4 weeks' paid leave a year (5 for defined shiftworkers), accruing from day one, plus 8 national public holidays and state additions.No statutory paid vacation and no statutory paid public holidays. Typical practice is about 11 days after a year, by employer choice.
At 1 year4 weeksNone required (typical practice: 11 days)
At 5 years4 weeksNone required (typical practice: 15 days)
At 10 years4 weeksNone required (typical practice: 18 days)
Key numbersEntitlement: 4 weeks a year (5 for award shiftworkers); Public holidays: 8 national; 10-13 typical by state; Leave loading: Award-dependent, commonly 17.5%Statutory paid vacation: None; Statutory paid public holidays: None (11 federal holidays bind federal employers); Typical practice (BLS): 11 days after 1 year, 15 after 5, 18 after 10

Australia

The NES gives full-time and part-time employees 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year, accruing progressively and rolling over indefinitely, with unused leave paid out on termination. Shiftworkers defined by an award get 5 weeks. Leave loading (commonly 17.5%) applies only where an award or agreement provides it. Public holidays add 8 national days, with states typically taking the total to 10 to 13.

  • Entitlement4 weeks a year (5 for award shiftworkers)
  • Public holidays8 national; 10-13 typical by state
  • Leave loadingAward-dependent, commonly 17.5%
  • On terminationUnused leave paid out
  • Casuals get no paid annual leave; the 25% loading is the trade-off.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman (NES, Fair Work Act ss.86-87). Checked July 2026.

United States

The US mandates zero paid vacation days and zero paid public holidays for private-sector employees; the 11 federal holidays bind federal employers only. What employees actually get is set by the market: BLS data has private-industry workers with paid vacation averaging 11 days after one year, 15 after five and 18 after ten.

  • Statutory paid vacationNone
  • Statutory paid public holidaysNone (11 federal holidays bind federal employers)
  • Typical practice (BLS)11 days after 1 year, 15 after 5, 18 after 10
Length of serviceEntitlement
After 1 year (typical, not law)11 days
After 5 years15 days
After 10 years18 days
After 20 years20 days
  • Several states treat accrued vacation as wages that must be paid out at termination, California most prominently.

Source: US Department of Labor / BLS (FLSA position; BLS March 2025 benefits data). Checked July 2026.

Hiring in both markets?

Put a full number on each side with the true-cost calculators: True cost of an employee (Australia) and True cost of an employee (US). The complete six-market picture is on the Annual leave by country page.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the government source for its market.

MarketSourceRule / effectiveVerified
AustraliaFair Work OmbudsmanNES, Fair Work Act ss.86-87Checked July 2026
United StatesUS Department of Labor / BLSFLSA position; BLS March 2025 benefits dataChecked July 2026
Where Compono fits

Comparing entitlements is the easy half of hiring across markets. The hard half is whether the person you hire in Sydney, Singapore or Seattle will actually work out, and that risk looks the same in every jurisdiction. Compono matches candidates on how they work, not just what the CV claims, so the hires behind these numbers hold up wherever you make them.

See how it works

Common questions

What is the rule on annual leave in Australia?

4 weeks' paid leave a year (5 for defined shiftworkers), accruing from day one, plus 8 national public holidays and state additions. The NES gives full-time and part-time employees 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year, accruing progressively and rolling over indefinitely, with unused leave paid out on termination.

What is the rule on annual leave in the US?

No statutory paid vacation and no statutory paid public holidays. Typical practice is about 11 days after a year, by employer choice. The US mandates zero paid vacation days and zero paid public holidays for private-sector employees; the 11 federal holidays bind federal employers only.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the Australia and the US government pages every figure on this page was verified against in July 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the US Department of Labor or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.