Where 2,080 comes from
2,080 = 40 hours a week × 52 weeks. It is the number of paid hours in a full-time year used throughout US payroll, and it is the divisor behind every salary-to-hourly conversion: $52,000 a year ÷ 2,080 = $25 an hour.
2,080 is a convention rather than a count. A calendar year has 365 days, which is 52.14 weeks (365 ÷ 7), and a leap year has 52.29. Counting 52.14 weeks gives 2,085.7 hours; a year that happens to contain 261 weekdays gives 2,088 hours, and one with 262 weekdays gives 2,096. Payroll uses 2,080 anyway because it keeps the hourly equivalent of a salary constant from year to year.
| Hours per week | Hours per year | Hours per month (÷ 12) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1,040 | 86.67 |
| 25 | 1,300 | 108.33 |
| 30 | 1,560 | 130.00 |
| 32 | 1,664 | 138.67 |
| 35 | 1,820 | 151.67 |
| 37.5 | 1,950 | 162.50 |
| 40 | 2,080 | 173.33 |
| 45 | 2,340 | 195.00 |
Hours actually worked after vacation and holidays
2,080 counts every weekday as a work day. To find the hours you actually work, subtract paid time off. Federal employees observe about 10 federal holidays a year; private employers choose their own holiday calendar and vacation policy, so the figures vary.
| Time off | Hours subtracted | Hours worked |
|---|---|---|
| None | 0 | 2,080 |
| 10 holidays | 80 | 2,000 |
| 10 holidays + 10 vacation days | 160 | 1,920 |
| 10 holidays + 15 vacation days | 200 | 1,880 |
| 10 holidays + 20 vacation days | 240 | 1,840 |
| 10 holidays + 20 vacation days + 5 sick days | 280 | 1,800 |
For most full-time US employees the hours actually worked fall somewhere between about 1,800 and 2,000 a year. The paid figure stays at 2,080 if the time off is paid; the worked figure is what matters for productivity, billing targets and comparing with other countries.
Work hours in a month: 173.33 or 160
Two monthly figures are in common use:
- 173.33 hours = 2,080 ÷ 12. Equivalent to 4.33 weeks a month (52 ÷ 12) at 40 hours. This is the payroll figure.
- 160 hours = 4 weeks × 40 hours. A convenient round number for a short month with exactly 20 workdays, but 12 × 160 = 1,920, which is 160 hours short of a year.
Payroll uses 173.33 because a monthly salary is the same every month while the number of workdays swings between 20 and 23. Dividing the annual hours evenly gives one hourly equivalent that holds for the whole year: $4,333.33 a month ÷ 173.33 hours = $25 an hour, matching $52,000 ÷ 2,080. Using 160 would overstate the hourly rate by 8 percent.
Actual monthly hours depend on the calendar. A month with 20 workdays has 160 hours at 8 a day; 21 workdays give 168, 22 give 176 and 23 give 184. For hourly employees, count the workdays in the specific month rather than using an average.
Part-time hours
Part-time annual hours scale in proportion: weekly hours × 52. A 20-hour week is 1,040 hours a year and 86.67 a month; a 30-hour week is 1,560 and 130. Half of a 37.5-hour full-time contract is 18.75 hours a week, 975 a year.
Employers that express part-time work as a percentage of full-time apply the same proportion to the annual figure: 60 percent of a 2,080-hour year is 1,248 hours, or 24 hours a week. The hourly to salary calculator converts any of these hour figures to pay.
Frequently asked questions
How many work hours are in a year?
2,080 for a 40-hour week: 40 times 52. That is the paid-hours figure used in payroll. The hours actually worked are lower once vacation and holidays are subtracted; with 10 holidays and two weeks of vacation they come to 1,920. A 37.5-hour week gives 1,950 and a 35-hour week 1,820.
How many work hours are in a month?
173.33 on average for a 40-hour week, which is 2,080 divided by 12. The real number varies with the calendar: 20 workdays give 160 hours, 21 give 168, 22 give 176 and 23 give 184. Payroll uses the 173.33 average so a monthly salary converts to the same hourly rate every month.
Why do employers use 2,080 hours?
Because 40 hours times 52 weeks is a stable figure that makes salary and hourly pay interchangeable. $52,000 a year is $25 an hour by that convention regardless of how many weekdays the particular year contains. Counting the exact 52.14 weeks or the actual weekdays would change the hourly equivalent slightly from year to year.
How many hours is 37.5 hours a week per year?
1,950 hours: 37.5 times 52. Per month that is 162.5 hours. The 37.5-hour week is common in the UK and in US offices with a 9 to 5 day and an unpaid 30-minute lunch. Subtracting 10 holidays and 20 vacation days at 7.5 hours each leaves 1,725 hours actually worked.
How many work hours are in a year after holidays and vacation?
It depends on the employer. With 10 paid holidays a 40-hour employee works 2,000 hours; add 10 vacation days and it is 1,920; add 20 vacation days and it is 1,840. Most full-time US employees land between about 1,800 and 2,000 hours actually worked, while the paid figure remains 2,080.
Is a work month 160 hours or 173.33 hours?
Both are used, for different purposes. 160 is 4 weeks of 40 hours and matches a month with exactly 20 workdays. 173.33 is the annual 2,080 divided by 12 and is the correct figure for converting a monthly salary to an hourly rate. Twelve months of 160 would only be 1,920 hours, short of a full year.
Related calculators
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