FTE = hours for a person or group ÷ full-time hours for the same period.
For example, a person scheduled for 32 hours in a 40-hour full-time week is 0.8 FTE: 32 ÷ 40 = 0.8. Two people scheduled for 20 hours each total 1.0 FTE, with a headcount of two.
Use the free FTE calculator to try your own hours.
Download the FTE cheat sheet
These reference sheets assume a 40-hour week, with 8 daily, 80 biweekly, and 2,080 annual full-time hours. Use the calculator when your full-time standard differs.
In this guide
What are full-time equivalents?
A full-time equivalent expresses hours as a share of a full-time schedule. It lets you compare different schedules and total staffing capacity without treating every person as a full-time employee.
Choose what you want to measure before collecting hours:
- Scheduled FTE compares planned hours with the full-time standard. Use it to describe a staffing commitment.
- Worked-hours FTE compares actual hours worked with that standard. Use it to describe the hours delivered during a period.
Keep the hour basis consistent when comparing people, departments, or periods. For example, a full-time employee taking leave may work fewer hours that week while their scheduled FTE remains 1.0. Decide how your reporting method treats leave and holidays before calculating the total.
Calculating FTEs across time periods
Use the same period for the numerator and denominator. Divide weekly hours by full-time weekly hours, or annual hours by full-time annual hours.
| Period | Person’s hours | Full-time hours | Calculation | FTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | 6 | 8 | 6 ÷ 8 | 0.75 |
| Weekly | 32 | 40 | 32 ÷ 40 | 0.80 |
| Biweekly | 64 | 80 | 64 ÷ 80 | 0.80 |
| Annual | 1,560 | 2,080 | 1,560 ÷ 2,080 | 0.75 |
The examples use a 40-hour full-time week. If your full-time week is 37.5 hours, someone scheduled for 30 hours is also 0.8 FTE: 30 ÷ 37.5 = 0.8.
A daily result describes that day. Someone who works four 10-hour days in a 40-hour week is 1.0 scheduled weekly FTE, even though each working day exceeds an 8-hour daily standard.
Calculate FTE for a team
Consider 14 employees who share a 40-hour full-time week:
| Employees | Weekly hours per person | Total weekly hours | FTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 full-time employees | 40 | 400 | 10.0 |
| 4 part-time employees | 20 | 80 | 2.0 |
| 14 employees | 480 | 12.0 |
The calculation is 480 ÷ 40 = 12.0 FTE. Headcount is 14. Both numbers are useful: one describes the people, the other their scheduled capacity.
If groups use different full-time standards, calculate each group’s FTE against its own standard, then add the FTE results. For example, 30 ÷ 37.5 = 0.8 FTE and 32 ÷ 40 = 0.8 FTE, for 1.6 FTE in total. Do not pool those hours under one denominator.
Overtime
A worked-hours calculation can exceed 1.0 FTE. For example, 90 hours ÷ 80 full-time biweekly hours = 1.125 FTE.
That result describes hours worked during the period. It does not automatically increase the employee’s scheduled FTE or the approved capacity of their position. Keep overtime workload separate from a decision to approve more permanent capacity.
Annual hours and the full-time standard
A 40-hour week across 52 weeks gives 2,080 annual hours. A 37.5-hour week across 52 weeks gives 1,950 annual hours.
Use the full-time schedule and calendar that match your organization and the purpose of the calculation. A school-year schedule or another work calendar may use a different annual standard. Keep the treatment of paid leave and holidays consistent with the hour basis you selected.
If someone works a 40-hour schedule for 26 weeks, that is 1,040 ÷ 2,080 = 0.5 FTE averaged across that full year. Their scheduled FTE during those 26 working weeks is 1.0. Label the period so the two results are not mistaken for the same measure.
Use FTE in a position plan
Approved position FTE, assigned FTE, and headcount answer different questions. A 1.0 FTE position with a 0.6 FTE assignment has 0.4 vacant FTE, even though one person already fills part of it.
In FTE Tree, position FTE is recorded separately. A saved work schedule describes the schedule and can help select financial adjustments; it does not calculate position FTE. Timecard hours are not required to record approved position capacity.
Read FTE, assignments, and vacancy for the product’s definitions, or Work schedules for schedule setup.