See what part-time hours pay per week, month and year — and how many hours a week a monthly target really takes
Full-time pay converters assume 40 hours, which makes them useless for the most common part-time question: "I need $1,500 a month — how many hours is that?" This calculator runs it both ways: from your rate and hours to monthly pay, and from a monthly target back to the hours a week it takes.
Monthly pay = hourly rate × hours a week × 52 ÷ 12. Hours needed = monthly target × 12 ÷ 52 ÷ hourly rate. A month holds about 4.33 weeks, not 4, which is why a 20-hour week at $18 pays $1,560 a month, not $1,440.
| Monthly target | At $12/hr | At $15/hr | At $18/hr | At $20/hr | At $25/hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | 19.2 | 15.4 | 12.8 | 11.5 | 9.2 |
| $1,500 | 28.8 | 23.1 | 19.2 | 17.3 | 13.8 |
| $2,000 | 38.5 | 30.8 | 25.6 | 23.1 | 18.5 |
| $2,500 | 48.1 | 38.5 | 32.1 | 28.8 | 23.1 |
There is no single legal definition in federal wage law; employers set their own line. For the Affordable Care Act employer mandate, a full-time employee averages at least 30 hours a week, so many employers keep part-time staff under 30. Benefits eligibility, overtime and scheduling rules vary by employer and state, so check your offer letter rather than assuming.
Two 20-hour jobs pay the same as one 40-hour job at the same rate, but the hours rarely stack neatly, travel time is unpaid, and neither employer may offer benefits. Compare the options on hours actually available per week, and budget on your lowest recent month rather than the schedule you were promised.
It depends on your hours. At 20 hours a week it is $17.31 an hour; at 25 hours, $13.85; at 30 hours, $11.54.
$11.54 an hour at 20 hours a week, or $15.38 at 15 hours a week, before tax.
$300 a week, $1,300 a month and $15,600 a year before tax.
Employers set their own definition. Under the ACA employer mandate, full-time means averaging 30 or more hours a week, so part-time roles are commonly kept under 30.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.