Convert employee hours into full-time equivalents. Enter full-time staff and each part-timer's hours to get total FTE, or work backward from FTE to the number of people you need. An ACA mode counts full-time equivalent employees for the 50-employee test.
Last updated:
Calculate
h / week
1 FTE = this many hours (40 h = 2,080 h a year).
Each counts as 1.0 FTE.
h / week
Hours in one month; anyone at 130+ is counted as full-time.
Enter your values to see the result.
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How to use the FTE Calculator
Pick a mode: Hours → FTE, FTE → headcount, or the ACA employer count.
Set the full-time standard, usually 40 hours a week.
Enter your full-time employees and each part-timer's hours, one per line, and choose whether those hours are weekly, monthly or yearly.
Press Calculate FTE to see total FTE, headcount and a per-person table.
Copy the results or download the CSV for a budget or grant report.
FTE formula
FTE = total hours worked ÷ full-time hours for the same period. Full-time hours are typically 40 per week, about 173.33 per month (40 × 52 ÷ 12) or 2,080 per year.
Example: 6 full-time staff plus part-timers working 20, 25, 16, 30 and 12 hours a week. Part-time hours total 103, and 103 ÷ 40 = 2.575 FTE, so the business has 8.58 FTE across a headcount of 11.
FTE to hours reference (40-hour week)
FTE
Hours per week
Hours per month
Hours per year
1.0
40
173.3
2,080
0.9
36
156
1,872
0.8
32
138.7
1,664
0.75
30
130
1,560
0.6
24
104
1,248
0.5
20
86.7
1,040
0.25
10
43.3
520
Tips for accurate FTE counts
Use paid hours consistently. Decide whether paid leave counts as hours worked and apply the same rule to everyone; most budgets include paid time off.
Match the full-time standard to your policy. If your full-time week is 37.5 hours, a 37.5-hour employee is 1.0 FTE, not 0.94.
Use the right definition for compliance. ACA, small-business grants and state programs each define FTE differently; follow the definition on the form you are filling in.
Average seasonal staff over the reporting period instead of counting a busy month alone.
Frequently asked questions
What does FTE mean?
FTE stands for full-time equivalent: a unit equal to one person working a full-time schedule. Two people working 20 hours a week each equal 1.0 FTE when full-time is 40 hours. It lets you compare staffing levels regardless of how hours are split between people.
How do you calculate FTE?
Divide the total hours worked by the hours of one full-time employee for the same period. With a 40-hour week, 300 hours worked in a week is 300 ÷ 40 = 7.5 FTE. For a year, one FTE is usually 2,080 hours (40 × 52).
How many hours is 0.5, 0.75 or 0.8 FTE?
With a 40-hour standard, 0.5 FTE is 20 hours a week (1,040 a year), 0.75 FTE is 30 hours (1,560 a year) and 0.8 FTE is 32 hours (1,664 a year). Multiply the FTE by your full-time weekly hours.
Should overtime count as more than 1 FTE?
It depends on the purpose. For budgeting labor hours, counting all hours (so a 50-hour week is 1.25 FTE) shows real workload. Many headcount reports, grant forms and the ACA rules cap each person at 1.0. The cap checkbox lets you choose.
How does the ACA count full-time equivalent employees?
For the applicable large employer test, anyone averaging 30 or more hours a week (130 hours a month) is full-time. Hours of all other employees are added, with at most 120 hours per person, and divided by 120. Full-time plus equivalents averaging 50 or more over the prior year makes the employer an ALE.
What is the difference between FTE and headcount?
Headcount is the number of people employed; FTE is the amount of full-time work they represent. A team of 10 part-timers at 20 hours each has a headcount of 10 but only 5.0 FTE.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.