Finding the number of work hours in a year is a common practice in the corporate world and other industries. It helps to smooth the payroll, resource planning, and evaluate labor costs. That’s what compels professionals to figure out an accurate result. But how many work hours in a year? Many of you have a straightforward roadmap to find the answer to this question.
Multiply total weekly hours by the number of weeks in a year. Elaborating, the average working hours in a week are 40 hours, and there are 52 weeks in a year. When we multiply 40 by 52, we obtain 2080.
So you get the answer! But unfortunately, this is an incorrect answer. Why?
Because time off, sick leaves, and holidays are the major causes that affect the working hours in a year. Therefore, you need to consider them and understand the correct method for finding the answer. Moving forward, we will provide comprehensive guidance on the average number of hours worked in a year. So, how many work hours are in a year? You’ll get the right answer here.
📌 Key Takeaways
- The 40-hour working week is the most applicable criterion in the world.
- 2080 is the average work hours per year.
- Calculating the annual working hours can be simplified by using the time-tracking software.
- Computing working hours per year is also helpful in scheduling life around work and establishing a better work-life balance.
- The total working hours of a year depend on paid vacation days, federal holidays, paid holidays, and overtime hours.
- Region, employer policies, and industries also affect the working hours.
- Knowing work hours per year is important for the payroll process, especially where employees are paid on an hourly basis.
💡Fact
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average weekly hours worked by private employees were recorded at 34.2 hours per week in June 2025.
What Is a Work Year or Man Year?
A work year is defined as the number of hours a person is expected to work in a specific time frame. However, it also depends on the work environment and individual work contracts. The total work hours in a year are 2080, because 40 hours is the average weekly working hours and there are 52 weeks in the year.
The major use of the work year is in project management and determining the effort estimate for the same. Additionally, it also helps to monitor the project progress & allocation of resources.
Working Hours in a Year (Weekly)
Generally, the 2080 is the standard number of hours in a work year, considering 40 hours as the average number of hours worked per week. But what about when the working hours are different from 40? Here is the tabular form explaining the same:
| Weekly Work Hours | Yearly Work Hours |
|---|---|
| 10 | 520 |
| 15 | 780 |
| 20 | 1040 |
| 25 | 1300 |
| 30 | 1560 |
| 35 | 1820 |
| 40 | 2080 |
| 45 | 2340 |
| 50 | 2600 |
| 55 | 2860 |
| 60 | 3120 |
| 65 | 3380 |
| 70 | 3640 |
| 75 | 3900 |
| 80 | 4160 |
Non-Working Hours in a Year (Weekly)
So far, we have calculated working hours in a year. Let’s now focus on non-working hours in a year. These hours indicate the time that you spend on other activities. Calculating the non-working hours in a year is quite straightforward.
The total annual hours add up to 8,760 with 24 hours in each day and 365 days in a year. As the total number of hours in a year is 8760, subtracting the total hours in a working year will yield the non-working hours.
Considering the above table, the non-working hours in a year are as follows:
| Weekly Work Hours | Yearly Non-Working Hours |
|---|---|
| 10 | 8760 – 520 = 8240 |
| 15 | 8760 – 780 = 7980 |
| 20 | 8760 – 1040 = 7720 |
| 25 | 8760 – 1300 = 7460 |
| 30 | 8760 – 1560 = 7200 |
| 35 | 8760 – 1820 = 6940 |
| 40 | 8760 – 2080 = 6680 |
| 45 | 8760 – 2340 = 6420 |
| 50 | 8760 – 2600 = 6160 |
| 55 | 8760 – 2860 = 5900 |
| 60 | 8760 – 3120 = 5640 |
| 65 | 8760 – 3380 = 5380 |
| 70 | 8760 – 3640 = 5120 |
| 75 | 8760 – 3900 = 4860 |
| 80 | 8760 – 4160 = 4600 |
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How Many Work Hours in a Year? Steps to Calculate
Employees must self-determine their working hours annually, as the Fair Labor Standards Act specifies a standard work schedule of 40 hours per week. Always consider time off while calculating full-time work hours per year. Holidays, vacations, sick time, and personal days fall under this category. Get down to the approach when calculating the work hours in a year:
1. Calculating Weekly Working Hours
Initially, you need to calculate the weekly working hours when questioning how many working hours are in a year. Sometimes, it is tedious to calculate them, especially when you lack time-tracking software like Moon Invoice. It is because with the manual approach, you need to add each one to acquire the total working hours individually. We are considering 40 as a standard working hours per week.
2. Multiply the Weekly Working Hours by 52
After computing the weekly hours, you need to multiply the output by the number of weeks in a year. The total number of weeks in a year is 52, so multiplying by this number will give you a rough estimate. For instance, if you had a 40-hour workweek, then the result would be:
40 (hours workweek) x 52 (weeks per year) = 2,080 working hours per year
3. Calculating Time Off Hours
We have calculated the typical number of hours worked per year. But what about non-work hours? You also need to calculate the vacations, sick leave, and federal holidays.
Some companies provide paid vacations or paid sick leave, but in some cases, this is not applicable. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, companies are not required to make payments for direct sick leave or vacation.
Sum the total number of hours off to calculate the paid time off hours. For instance, if an employee took 1 week of vacation time and 5 sick leave days, then the total non-working hours (paid time off) will be 10 non-working days (considering 5 working days).
In the United States, 11 federal vacation days are applicable:
-
- New Years Day
- Martin Luther King Jr Day
- George Washington’s Birthday
- Memorial Day
- Juneteeth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
Other than that, federal employees who work within the Washington, DC area get Inauguration Day as a holiday, which counts as a 12th day off.
4. Multiply Days Off by Hours Worked
The next step is to convert the number of days off into hours off. This will provide an accurate representation of the total work hours in a year. You need to multiply the days off by the number of hours.
Taking our above example of 40 hours as weekly working hours, considering 5 days of work, the per-day working hours will be 8 hours (40 ÷ 5). Now, computing the non-work hours for the year:
10 (non working days) x 8 (per-day working hours) = 80 non-working hours
As we calculated 10 non-working days in the previous step.
5. Deduct Total Time off from the Total Work Hours
So, how many hours in a work year? You will determine this step by subtracting the time off from the total working hours. The calculation is straightforward, as it involves multiplying the total work hours by the hourly wage.
2080 (working hours per year) – 80 (non-working hours per year) = 2000 (total working hours per year)
Hourly employees can calculate their total earnings by multiplying the total number of work hours by their hourly wage. Additionally, if you want to calculate the hourly rate for the year, divide the total salary of that year by the total working hours for the year.
💡Give This a Read:
What Factors Affect the Working Hours?
Several factors impact the working hours. That means the work time amount can be adjusted up or down based on these factors. Some of those factors are as follows:
Improving the Working Process
Incorporating advancements in the working process also impacts the working hours. Businesses can enhance their working processes through automation and the use of software that facilitates quick operations. As a result, working hours in a work year declined, as most work is now done through automation.
Employment Contract/Bond
Working hours are also defined in the employment contract. For instance, employees are required to complete a certain number of working hours as specified in the contract. Overtime work and shift work also impact the working hours.
Dynamic Working Approach
Over the last few years, companies have greatly adopted a flexible working approach. Employees can set their working hours according to their convenience, rather than adhering to a strict timeframe. Even the working hours exceed the desirable hours, resulting in overtime. All these factors impact the calculation of hours in a work year.
Type of Work
When calculating working hours, it is not incorrect to consider the type of work being done. Some tasks consume more time, resulting in a corresponding increase in the time spent on them. The nature of the work is also a deciding factor in determining work hours.
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Why Is It Worth It to Calculate Total Worked Hours Per Year?
Calculating total worked hours per year is valuable for both the business and its employees. Here are some points reflecting the values:
Ease the Income Calculation
When an employee is well aware of their working hours, it is helpful to determine their income. An hourly employee can easily calculate their annual salary, and salaried employees can determine their hourly wage. Additionally, the HR team can handle payroll management efficiently.
Work-Life Balance
Working hours have a significant impact on achieving a good work-life balance. Being aware of working hours is essential for maintaining a good work-life balance. A healthy work-life balance fuels the good physical & mental health of workers. There is a positive impact on the work & productivity when an employee is physically & mentally fit.
Labor Regulations
Labor regulations are established for the benefit of companies, and they must consider their workers’ hours in accordance with these regulations. Additionally, the working hours always affect overtime pay, total wages, and benefits. This also helps in making changes to current scenarios or taking other informed decisions.
Moon Invoice – A Smart Way to Track the Accurate Time
Moon Invoice, a renowned name in the accounting field, offers the best time tracking solutions. It offers accuracy through automation and lowers the chances of error. As a result, it offers the right approach to billing.
Professionals can manage their billable hours for projects more effectively. It is also helpful to identify areas that need improvement. Additionally, enhancing team collaboration and productivity can be achieved by enabling multiple users’ involvement. Users can create detailed invoices for projects based on hourly rates by using an hourly invoice template.
The time log feature enables you to analyse the time spent on projects and tasks. It helps streamline the entire billing process and payroll management. The user can convert time logs into timesheets.
Overall, Moon Invoice is a reliable time-tracking software for invoicing, allowing you to track billable hours accurately. It helps save time through automation, along with increasing productivity. Additionally, a good, user-friendly interface enhances the user experience.
Last Word
How many working hours are there in a year? This is a crucial question and a topic of concern among many people worldwide.
There must be a clear understanding of it among the employees and the employer. This has numerous beneficial impacts on overall business operations. Additionally, one can simplify the calculation of working hours by using a reputable & free time tracker such as Moon Invoice.
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FAQs on Work Hours
What is the number of work hours in a 40-hour workweek per year?
How many work hours are in a year without considering holidays and vacations?
How many hours are in a 40-hour work week?
Is 2000 hours a year of work?
How many working hours per year, along with holidays?
Are holidays covered in the 2080 working hours?
Jayanti Katariya is the founder & CEO of Moon Invoice, with over a decade of experience in developing SaaS products and the fintech industry. He holds a degree in engineering. Since 2011, Jayanti's expertise has helped thousands of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises, streamline invoicing, estimation, and accounting operations. His vision is to deliver top-tier financial solutions globally, ensuring efficient financial management for all business owners.
