The answer
1,040 hours a year
20 hours × 52 weeks = 1,040. That is 86.7 hours a month on average and 40 hours every two weeks.
Twenty hours is the classic half-time week: four five-hour days or five four-hour days. This schedule is 50% of a 40-hour week and counts as part-time work.
How the hours break down
| Measure | Hours |
|---|---|
| Per week | 20 |
| Per bi-weekly period | 40 |
| Per semi-monthly period (average) | 43.33 |
| Per month (average) | 86.67 |
| Per quarter | 260 |
| Per year (52 weeks) | 1040 |
Spread over a 5-day week that is 4 hours a day; over a 4-day week 5 hours a day; over 3 days 6.67 hours a day.
Worked example
20 hours a week at $20 an hour
Weekly gross = 20 h × $20 = $400.00. Annual = $400.00 × 52 = $20,800.00. Two unpaid weeks would remove $800.00, leaving $20,000.00.
Pay at common hourly rates
| Hourly rate | Weekly | 52 weeks | 50 weeks (2 unpaid) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00/h | $300.00 | $15,600.00 | $15,000.00 |
| $20.00/h | $400.00 | $20,800.00 | $20,000.00 |
| $25.00/h | $500.00 | $26,000.00 | $25,000.00 |
| $30.00/h | $600.00 | $31,200.00 | $30,000.00 |
All figures are gross, before taxes.
If you have unpaid time off
| Scenario | Hours per year | Hours per month |
|---|---|---|
| Paid all 52 weeks | 1040 h | 86.7 h |
| 2 unpaid weeks | 1000 h | 83.3 h |
| 4 unpaid weeks | 960 h | 80 h |
Overtime
At 20 hours a week there is no federal overtime. You would need 20 more hours in a workweek to reach 40; any hours beyond that are overtime for non-exempt employees. See overtime rules and the calculator for state differences.