Work, pay & shifts
Converting Part-Time Hours to FTE
One part-time employee’s FTE is their hours divided by full-time hours — but the same 20 hours is a different FTE at a 40-hour organization than at a 37.5-hour one. This guide gives a reference table for the common standards and shows how to handle annual hours and schedules that change from week to week.
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Weekly hours to FTE
| Hours a week | At 35 hours | At 37.5 hours | At 40 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0.29 | 0.27 | 0.25 |
| 15 | 0.43 | 0.4 | 0.38 |
| 20 | 0.57 | 0.53 | 0.5 |
| 24 | 0.69 | 0.64 | 0.6 |
| 30 | 0.86 | 0.8 | 0.75 |
| 32 | 0.91 | 0.85 | 0.8 |
Annual hours to FTE
If hours are tracked by the year, divide by the annual standard instead: 1,040 hours ÷ 2,080 is 0.5 FTE, and 1,560 ÷ 2,080 is 0.75. A 37.5-hour organization uses 1,950 a year, so the same 1,560 hours are 0.8.
Uneven schedules
When hours change from week to week, average them over a representative stretch — a month, a quarter, or a full rotation — before dividing. Someone who works 16, 24, 20, and 28 hours over four weeks averages 22 hours, or 0.55 FTE against 40.
Setting part-time positions
- Going the other way, multiply: a 0.6 FTE position at a 40-hour organization is 24 hours a week.
- At 37.5 hours, the same 0.6 FTE is 22.5 hours a week.
- Benefit and other thresholds are often set in FTE or in hours; check which standard they use before converting.
Part-Time Hours to FTE FAQ
- What FTE is 20 hours a week?
- 0.5 against a 40-hour week, 0.53 against 37.5 hours, and 0.57 against 35.
- How many hours is 0.8 FTE?
- 32 hours a week at a 40-hour standard, or 30 at 37.5.
- Is 0.75 FTE full time?
- No — it is three quarters of the full-time standard, 30 hours against 40. Whether it counts as full time for a particular benefit or program depends on that program’s own definition.
- How do I convert FTE to annual hours?
- Multiply by the annual standard: 0.5 FTE × 2,080 = 1,040 hours.
- Why did my FTE change when my hours didn’t?
- The full-time standard changed — for example from 40 to 37.5 hours — or the report switched to a different standard.
Related guides
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