How many work hours in a year
If you’re managing projects or payroll, budgeting or planning, you need to know how many working hours there are in a year or month.
Maybe you’re planning resources and output and want to create a detailed plan including the amount of work hours for the year.
Or, you want to reassess productivity and benchmark if you’re meeting average hours worked in a month or year.
In this article, we’ll cover how to calculate the number of work hours in a year, month, or week.
We’ll also cover the factors that affect how many hours your employees work, such as employment status and paid leave benefits.
By the end, you’ll even have benchmarks that clarify how many work hours and paid holidays are typical for employees in various locations, occupations, and seniority levels—so your business can stay competitive.
Key takeaways
- A standard full-time employee working 40 hours a week logs 2,080 hours per year, but 2026 has 261 working days, giving 2,088 hours.
- Actual hours vary by employment status, profession, and location; full-time employees average 2,067 hours annually, while part-time employees average around 1,388 hours.
- Federal holidays, PTO, and state-specific holidays all reduce total working hours and must be factored into accurate workforce and payroll planning.
- To calculate true annual hours, subtract holiday and PTO days from the standard formula: (daily hours × 5 × 52) minus non-working days multiplied by daily hours.
Here’s what we’ll cover
How do you calculate working hours in a year?
You calculate the total work hours per year for a standard 40-hour work week by multiplying the weekly hours by the number of weeks in the year. This means that a standard full-time employee working 40 hours a week works 2,080 hours per year:
40 Hours per Week x 52 Weeks per Year = 2,080 Working Hours per Year
How many working hours in 2026?
2026 actually has 261 working weekdays, rather than the standard 260, because of how the calendar falls. 261 working days means a calendar-year total of 2,088 hours before holidays and PTO are factored in, based on a 40-hour working week.
Not everyone works a 40-hour week
Not every employee works 40 hours a week and the above calculation also doesn’t account for holidays.
If you don’t account for employees’ work schedules, you could end up under-booking them or not having enough staff to complete a project.
Need to plan for employees with part-time or overtime hours? Use this chart to figure out the total weekly hours.
| Weekly work hours | Annual work hours calculation | Total work hours per year |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 20 Hours x 52 Weeks | 1,040 |
| 25 | 25 Hours x 52 Weeks | 1,300 |
| 30 | 30 Hours x 52 Weeks | 1,560 |
| 35 | 35 Hours x 52 Weeks | 1,820 |
| 37.5 | 37.5 Hours x 52 Weeks | 1,950 |
| 40 | 40 Hours x 52 Weeks | 2,080 |
| 45 | 45 Hours x 52 Weeks | 2,340 |
| 50 | 50 Hours x 52 Weeks | 2,600 |
| 60 | 60 Hours x 52 Weeks | 3,120 |
If your employees’ working hours fluctuate significantly from day to day or week to week, the formulas above might not provide accurate results.
If this is the case, you’ll need to track time for employees and tally hours manually.
It’s also worth noting that the figures above don’t account for federal or company holidays, paid time off (PTO), or other non-working hours.
In the private sector, for example, employees receive an average of seven paid sick days per year—meaning few workers actually clock the full annual total.
We’ll walk through how to factor in holidays and PTO later in this article.
How many work hours in a month?
The average number of work hours in a month is 173, based on a standard 8-hour day, five days a week, across 52 weeks divided by 12 months.
Once you know the hours in a work year, breaking it down by month helps with more granular planning.
Avoid calculating work hours in a month by simply multiplying a week by four. Months have a differing number of days, so the formula below gives a more accurate result.
Use this formula to compute the number of work hours in an average month:
((Daily Hours x Workdays per Week) x 52 Weeks per Year) / 12 Months per Year = Work Hours per Month
Say you need to know how many hours a new employee will work per month, and they clock in for eight hours a day, five days a week.
You’d compute their work hours per month like so:
((8 x 5) x 52) / 12 = 173 Work Hours per Month
You can use the same formula for employees who work longer or shorter hours.
For example, here’s how you’d calculate monthly hours for a part-time employee working four hours a day:
((4 x 5) x 52) / 12 = 87 Work Hours per Month
And for an executive or team lead putting in 12 hours a day:
((12 x 5) x 52) / 12 = 260 Work Hours per Month
To calculate work hours per quarter, divide by four instead of 12:
((8 x 5) x 52) / 4 = 520 Work Hours per Quarter
What are the average hours worked per week?
The standard US workweek is 40 hours, but Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows the average employee actually works 7.95 hours per day, or 39.75 hours per week across full and part-time workers combined.
The hours that employees actually spend on the clock don’t always align with the total available work hours in a given year, month, or week.
Average weekly hours differ slightly depending on education level.
Workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher clock the fewest hours, averaging 8.01 hours per day or 40.05 hours per week. Employees with some college or an associate degree clock the most, averaging 7.93 hours per day or 39.65 hours per week.
The number of jobs a worker holds does affect total hours worked. Multiple jobholders work an average of 8.29 hours per day or 41.45 hours per week, while single jobholders average 8.1 hours per day or 40.5 hours per week.
How many hours does a full-time employee work in a year?
Full-time employees in the US work an average of 2,067 hours per year, based on BLS data showing an average of 39.75 hours per week.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines full-time employment as working 35 or more hours per week. defines full-time employment as working 35 or more hours per week.
On average, full-time employees in the United States work 7.95 hours per day or 39.75 hours per week, which is equivalent to 172.25 hours per month or 2,067 hours per year.
How many hours does a part-time employee work in a year?
Part-time employees in the US work an average of 1,388.4 hours per year, based on BLS data showing an average of 26.7 hours per week.
Part-time employment involves working fewer than 35 hours per week.
On average, part-time employees work 5.34 hours per day. Working five days per week, that amounts to 26.7 hours per week, 115.7 hours per month, or 1,388.4 hours per year.
How do actual working hours compare around the world?
Annual working hours vary significantly by country, with the US sitting roughly in the middle of the global range.
The below table compares data for a range of countries, from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):
| Country | Average annual hours |
|---|---|
| Mexico | 2,205 |
| Costa Rica | 2,183 |
| Chile | 1,912 |
| Greece | 1,874 |
| Israel | 1,870 |
| United States | 1,800 |
| Austria | 1,442 |
| Norway | 1,386 |
| Netherlands | 1,436 |
| Denmark | 1,369 |
| Germany | 1,332 |
Factors like longer workdays and fewer holidays drive higher totals in countries like Mexico and Costa Rica.
In countries like Germany and Denmark, shorter workdays and more generous holiday allowances bring the figure down considerably.
How to calculate working hours worked in a year
To calculate actual work hours per year for an employee, you need a few data points, including:
- Daily working hours.
- Holidays, including federal and state.
- PTO days, including vacation, sick, and personal days.
The formula to calculate actual work hours per year is:
((Daily Working Hours x 5) x 52) – ((Holidays + PTO Days) x Daily Working Hours) = Total Yearly Working Hours
For example, suppose you’re planning to hire a new employee with a standard eight-hour workday.
Say their benefits package includes 11 holidays per year and 15 PTO days.
For the entire year, their total working hours would be:
((8 x 5) x 52) – ((11 + 15) x 8) = 1,872 Working Hours per Year
For example, suppose you’re planning to hire a new employee with a standard eight-hour workday.
Say their benefits package includes 11 holidays per year and 15 PTO days.
For the entire year, their total working hours would be:
((8 x 5) x 52) – ((11 + 15) x 8) = 1,872 Working Hours per Year
Federal public holidays in the US
The US observes 11 public holidays each year. Here’s when these federal holidays fall in 2026:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Thursday, January 01 | New Year’s Day |
| Monday, January 19 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| Monday, February 16 * | Washington’s Birthday |
| Monday, May 25 | Memorial Day |
| Friday, June 19 | Juneteenth National Independence Day |
| Friday, July 03 ** | Independence Day |
| Monday, September 07 | Labor Day |
| Monday, October 12 | Columbus Day |
| Wednesday, November 11 | Veterans Day |
| Thursday, November 26 | Thanksgiving Day |
| Friday, December 25 | Christmas Day |
*Designated as “Washington’s Birthday” under federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)). Other institutions may use alternative names.
**July 4 falls on a Saturday in 2026. For most federal employees, the preceding Friday (July 3) is observed as the holiday. See 5 U.S.C. 6103(b).
Federal employees in the Washington, DC, area observe an additional public holiday in certain years, as Inauguration Day falls on January 20th every fourth year.
However, this holiday doesn’t apply to private businesses or outside of the capital.
As a business owner, you have the option to give employees PTO for any or all of these holidays. No laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), require private businesses to observe these public holidays.
Federal vs. state paid time off
While While all states observe the federal holidays above, some treat select holidays as floating holidays, meaning employees can take PTO on different dates.
Many states also observe additional holidays, including:
- Lincoln’s Birthday (second Monday in February): observed in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and New York, falls on February 9, 2026.
- Good Friday: observed in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas, falls on April 3, 2026.
- Mardi Gras: observed in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, falls on February 17, 2026.
- Day after Thanksgiving: observed in many states, falls on November 27, 2026.
- Christmas Eve: observed in several states, falls on December 24, 2026.
Beyond these, many states designate general election days as holidays, and several have additional dates to honor local history. The table below covers state-specific holidays for 2026:
| State | Holiday | Date (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Confederate Memorial Day | April 27, 2026 |
| Alabama | Jefferson Davis’ Birthday | June 1, 2026 |
| Alabama | Rosa L. Parks Day | December 1, 2026 |
| Alaska | Seward’s Day | March 30, 2026 |
| Alaska | Alaska Day | October 18, 2026 |
| California | Cesar Chavez Day | March 31, 2026 |
| Colorado | Frances Xavier Cabrini Day | October 5, 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Emancipation Day | April 16, 2026 |
| Hawaii | Prince Kūhiō Day | March 26, 2026 |
| Hawaii | King Kamehameha I Day | June 11, 2026 |
| Hawaii | Statehood Day | August 21, 2026 |
| Maine | Patriot’s Day | April 20, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Patriot’s Day | April 20, 2026 |
| Mississippi | Hernando de Soto Day | May 8, 2026 |
| Mississippi | Elvis Aaron Presley Day | August 16, 2026 |
| Missouri | Truman Day | May 8, 2026 |
| Nebraska | Arbor Day | April 24, 2026 |
| Nevada | Nevada Day | October 30, 2026 |
| Rhode Island | Victory Day | August 10, 2026 |
| South Carolina | Confederate Memorial Day | May 11, 2026 |
| Texas | Texas Independence Day | March 2, 2026 |
| Texas | Cesar Chavez Day | March 31, 2026 |
| Texas | San Jacinto Day | April 21, 2026 |
| Texas | Lyndon Baines Johnson Day | August 27, 2026 |
| Utah | Pioneer Day | July 24, 2026 |
| Vermont | Town Meeting Day | March 3, 2026 |
| Vermont | Bennington Battle Day | August 17, 2026 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Day | June 20, 2026 |
Similar to federal holidays, state holidays don’t always apply to private employees.
If you run a business in one of these states, however, it’s worth considering observing these holidays and offering PTO to employees.
How much time off do employees receive?
There’s no single average for employee time off because it varies significantly by employer and length of service.
However, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that after one year of employment, around 32% of employees receive 5 to 14 days of paid leave.
Between holidays, vacation time, personal days, and sick leave, total time off varies significantly from employer to employer. Length of service plays a big role:
- After 20 years: around 33% of employees can receive more than 24 days of paid leave.
- After one year: around 32% of employees receive five to 14 days of paid leave.
- At the five- and ten-year mark: most employees receive 15 to 19 days of paid leave.
What are the average hours worked by profession?
Across the US, average work hours vary by occupation. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, roles with the highest average weekly hours include:
- Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations: 41.3 hours per week.
- Management, business, and financial operations occupations: 41.2 hours per week.
- Production occupations: 40.3 hours per week.
- Construction and extraction occupations: 39.9 hours per week.
Roles with the lowest average weekly hours include:
- Service occupations: 34.5 hours per week.
- Office and administrative support occupations: 36.9 hours per week.
- Sales and related occupations: 37.0 hours per week.
What are the average hours worked by state?
Average weekly working hours across the US range from 32.4 hours in Delaware to 36.3 hours in Louisiana, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
States and districts with the highest average weekly hours:
| State/district | Average weekly hours |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | 36.3 |
| Texas | 35.9 |
| Alabama | 35.8 |
| Alaska | 35.3 |
| West Virginia | 35.3 |
States with the lowest average weekly hours include:
| State/district | Average weekly hours |
|---|---|
| Delaware | 32.4 |
| South Dakota | 32.6 |
| Maine | 32.7 |
| Minnesota | 32.7 |
| California | 32.8 |
Depending on where your business is based, local standards may mean you expect employees to work longer or shorter hours.
However, your employment contracts should specify the required hours.
What are factors that can affect the total number of work hours in a year?
Several factors can increase or decrease the total number of hours in a work year, including the calendar structure, employment status, and the benefits package your business offers.
As you calculate total work hours for your employees, consider these factors:
- Weekends: Depending on the day of the week when the year starts, it may include an additional workday. In 2026, the year starts on a Thursday, resulting in 261 working weekdays.
- Leap years: Leap years, which happen every four years, typically add an extra working day to the calendar. 2026 is not a leap year.
- Election years: Many states observe election day as a holiday, decreasing annual working days by one. 2026 is a midterm election year, so this may apply in some states.
- Monthly work hours: When you calculate working hours by month, the total depends on the number of days in the month and the number of weekend days it includes.
- Employment status: Full-time employees work at least 35 hours per week, while part-time employees work fewer than 35 hours per week.
- Vacation days: The number of vacation days each employee receives is up to employers to determine. Many start by offering at least five days of paid leave after a year of service.
- Personal days: Some employers offer sick days or bundle them as personal days. The number depends on the employer.
Simplify workforce and payroll planning
Calculating annual work hours accurately is only the starting point. Translating those figures into reliable payroll, labor cost forecasts, and workforce plans is where the real complexity begins.
Sage HR and payroll tools help businesses manage employee hours, automate payroll calculations, and stay on top of compliance, so you’re not manually tracking PTO, holidays, and schedule variations across your workforce.
Explore human resources solutions and employee database software to simplify how you manage your workforce and plan for the year ahead.
Combined with accounting software, you get a clearer picture of your total labor costs and how they affect your bottom line.
FAQs about annual work hours
There are 261 working weekdays in 2026, one more than the standard 260, because the year begins on a Thursday. At eight hours per day, this gives a calendar-year total of 2,088 available work hours for a full-time employee before holidays and PTO are factored in.
There are 249 to 251 working weekdays in 2027, depending on which public holidays are observed. There are a total of 261 weekdays (Monday-Friday) and 10-12 public holidays (10 federal holidays) in 2027.
A standard 40-hour workweek gives you 2,080 work hours per year. If you subtract the 11 federal holidays (assuming each falls on a working day) you’re left with 1,992 work hours. Your actual figure will vary depending on your state, your company’s holiday calendar, and your employees’ PTO entitlements.
To calculate annual work hours for a part-time employee, use this formula: ((Daily Hours x Workdays per Week) x 52) / 12 for monthly hours, or multiply weekly hours by 52 for an annual figure. A part-time employee working four hours a day, five days a week, works approximately 1,040 hours per year before holidays and PTO.
Yes. Because 2026 has 261 working weekdays rather than the standard 260, businesses paying hourly employees may have one additional working day to account for in annual payroll budgets. 2026 is also a midterm election year, which may add a further holiday in some states.
Scheduled work hours are the hours an employee is contracted to work. Actual work hours are what they work in practice, after accounting for holidays, PTO, sick leave, and absences. The gap between the two is important for payroll accuracy, capacity planning, and labor cost forecasting.
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