How many hours is part-time?

Updated November 15, 2026 · Worked examples use whole minutes

There is no single legal number of hours that makes a job part-time. The US Fair Labor Standards Act does not define full-time or part-time work; employers set their own definitions.

Calculate it step by step

1. Choose a period that reflects your normal pattern, such as four or eight weeks.
2. Add your worked hours for the whole period, deducting unpaid breaks.
3. Divide by the number of weeks to get average weekly hours.
4. Compare the average with the definition that matters to you: your contract, benefits plan or the rule in question.

Worked example

Three shifts a week of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm with a 30-minute unpaid lunch are 7 hours 30 minutes each, or 22.5 hours a week. That is part-time under the BLS 35-hour line and below the ACA 30-hour full-time threshold.

Check your own shifts in the time card calculator

Which definition applies to you?

Different rules use different thresholds. US labor statistics count fewer than 35 hours a week as part-time. For the Affordable Care Act employer rules, an employee averaging at least 30 hours a week, or 130 hours a month, is full-time. In the UK, guidance says a full-time worker usually works 35 hours or more a week.

Average over several weeks when your hours vary. Total the worked hours across the period and divide by the number of weeks, instead of judging from a single busy or quiet week.

Further reading

• US Department of Labor: full-time and part-time employment
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics: definitions
• IRS: identifying full-time employees
• GOV.UK: part-time workers’ rights