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There are several reasons for wanting to know how many working hours in a year there are. You could be trying to figure out if that contract you were just offered is worth it. Perhaps you want to see how your country’s average work hours match up against those of other countries. Or maybe you just want to know down to the minute how long you have to go to your job this year.

For some of those reasons, you may not be thrilled to hear that, according to the OECD, the total number of hours worked internationally is on a steady climb, increasing slightly every year. Trust me, that’s not great news for any of us.

So keep reading to see the method of calculating how many work hours in a year based on a 40 hour work week, particularly so you can then do your own math if you find yourself working more (or less!) than that.

How many working hours in a year are there?

There are 2,080 work hours in a year based on someone working 52 weeks annually with a 40-hour work week. That also assumes that the person isn’t taking any vacation or sick days and so is working full time for the entire year.

Of course, that may not be entirely accurate depending on your own personal circumstances. If you find yourself working an average of 50 hours per week, for example, you’ll be looking at 2,600 working hours in a year.

(But have you ever wondered how many working hours there are in 2023 and 2024?)

It is also important to note that in each country and region around the world, standard workweeks and hours worked will vary. This is partly due to the benefits enjoyed by workers in each country, but also due to variations in the number of full time vs part time employees. 

For example, according to the OECD, the average American worker puts in 1,767 working hours in a year. This includes full time, part-time and part-year workers, hours worked in additional jobs, and excludes time not worked because of public holidays, annual paid leave, sick leave and similar exclusions.

(Just note that whenever I mention OECD findings on working hours in this article, they’re all on this basis – just so you don’t think that they’re all referring to full time workers.)

FYI: Depending on where you live, you may or may not be pleased to hear that the average worker in the EU has 1,513 working hours in a year. This means that Americans work nearly 17% more hours than Europeans do, equivalent to an extra 254 hours a year or almost five extra hours each week. 

How many hours a year do you work in Australia?

According to the OECD, the average full-time Australian employee works approximately 1,683 hours a year, just four hours less than the OECD average. This is partly based on the fact that fulltime Australian workers are legally entitled to between 10 to 13 public holidays annually as well as 20 vacation days.

And given that I know many of you reading this are in the US, I’ve saved you the trouble and done the math myself. That is, based on these findings, there are 84 less working hours in a year for an average Australian worker compared to the US. This is equivalent to just over 1.5 hours more each week – which doesn’t sound like much, but it can add up.

How many working hours in a year in the UK are there?

The OECD has found that there are, on average, 1,367 working hours in a year in the UK. This includes the fact that UK workers get eight to 10 “bank holidays”, or public holidays, per year. Full time employees are also legally entitled to 28 days of paid holiday vacation time each year.

a mechanic calculating how many work hours in a year working full-time he has

Safe to say, that’s significantly less than some of the other places I mentioned earlier. This doesn’t necessarily mean though that workers in the UK are lazier (or even more efficient!) as the number on its own doesn’t tell us all that much.

But sure, if it helps, feel free to dream of “only” working that much – especially when it means that those in the UK have 400 less working hours in a year compared to their US counterparts, or almost eight less hours per week. Having the equivalent of one less work day each week certainly doesn’t sound too bad at all…

How many working hours in a year in 2022 are there?

There are 260 working days in 2022. On this basis, if you intend to work eight hours for every single work day of the year, there will be 2,080 working hours this year. That doesn’t, however, include any overtime or extended work hours, nor does it allow for vacation or sick days or other days off.

Learning how many working hours in a year based on a 40 hour work week there are can help you to find a position that is fitting for you. Working hours will vary by the number of days you have paid, vacation time you have scheduled, as well as any unpaid time you intend to take off before the end of the year.

Related: What is a Good Salary for a Single Person?

How many work hours in a year minus holidays are there?

Full time workers in the US receive an average of 10 vacation days per year. As this would mean working 250 days a year, and on the assumption that you’re working eight hours per day, there will be 2,000 work hours in a year when you minus holidays.

Again, this doesn’t take into consideration any sick days you take or any other holidays you get for whatever reason. It also assumes that you take all your vacation days – which definitely isn’t the reality, with one study finding that the average US worker said they had taken just over half (54%) of their paid time off in the past 12 months.

teacher in a classroom

That would roughly mean only taking five vacation days per year meaning, for those employees (who are apparently the average), they would have 2,040 work hours in a year minus their holidays for five days – which should be 10, but that’s a separate discussion to be had.

Did you know…that the US is the only advanced economy that doesn’t federally mandate any paid vacation days or holidays? And did you know that around one in four workers in the US don’t get any paid vacation time or holidays at all? I think we can all agree that that’s not great, to put it diplomatically.

How many working hours in a month are there in 2022?

Each month is different and provides a different number of working hours available.

Because not all months are the same and weekends will vary, checking your calendar each month is important if you are on a strict budget or if you are attempting to calculate the exact amount of earnings you will earn in a particular month or even a year.

MonthWork DaysWork Hours
January21168
February20160
March23184
April21168
May22176
June22176
July21168
August23184
September22176
October21168
November22176
December22176

When calculating working hours in a month, consider your accrued paid time off, sick time, and any vacations you have planned or are thinking of putting in for at your place of employment.

It is also important to consider any paid public holidays or federal holidays that you will receive off each month, depending on your current place of employment.

How many working hours in a week are there?

US labor law states that there are 40 working hours in a week for a full time employee. This will, however, vary depending on your contract as well as how many hours you actually work in a week. A part time worker may work much less than this, while many full time workers feel compelled to work more.

Determining your own working hours in a week can be calculated by taking your average number of hours worked in a day and multiplying them by the number of days you work each week. For example, if you work a standard eight hours each day and work Monday-Friday, you will multiply 8 x 5 to get 40 hours.

If, however, you work an average of 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, you clock in an average of 60 hours a week, or 3,120 work hours in a year if you are working this schedule 52 weeks a year.

barista calculating how many working hours in a year based on a 40 hour work week he has

Some employers may also provide incentives, such as offering a full-time salary for those who work three 12-hour workdays as opposed to working five days for eight hours each day.

There may also be additional workplaces that provide paid lunchtimes or those that do not pay you for the time you take for lunch. Knowing whether or not you are paid for your lunch break is also vital when you are calculating time worked in any position.

Understanding the ins and outs of how your employer operates is key to calculating an accurate number of paid work hours you are putting in each week and year.

You may also be interested in: 8 Key Strategies to Live Without a Job

How do I calculate my yearly working hours?

You can calculate your yearly working hours by multiplying your average working hours per week by 52 weeks. You should also multiply your average working hours in a day by the number of days off you take. Subtract the second figure from the first one to determine your yearly working hours.

To get a more precise figure, you can calculate your yearly working hours by manually reviewing your time off. If you want to make this even easier on yourself, you can even try using online calculators to assist.

Let’s see how this works against some of the numbers mentioned earlier. For example, say you really do work 40 hours per week. Multiply that by 52 weeks and you’ve got 2,080 working hours in a year.

woman sitting at her desk on her computer holding a pen

However, you then have to calculate the paid holiday hours you receive based on your location and country. As mentioned, Australia provides 10-13 bank holidays, whereas the UK offers 8-10, depending on your region. In the US, your paid holidays will vary based on your employee and whether or not you work for a federal institution that celebrates all bank holidays.

To really get an exact figure, you should also consider any other time off you have taken throughout the year to your calculations. For instance, were you out on sick or maternity leave? Did you take additional unpaid time off?

Now is the time to review any additional days you were not at work, both paid and unpaid. Calculating paid time off as well as unpaid time away from work is highly advisable for the most accurate results when determining how much you have worked on average in a week and in an entire year.

Assuming, though, that you only take 10 days off a year, that’s equivalent to 80 working hours of vacation. By subtracting 80 from 2,080, you’re left with a neat 2,000 working hours in a year based on a 40 hour work week.

How do I calculate my hourly pay as a salaried employee?

If you are a salaried employee and want to know what your time is worth on an hourly basis, you can divide your annual salary by 52, or the number of full weeks you work each year.

For those who earn $60,000 on an annual basis and work 52 weeks for 40 hours a week, you might want to know if $60k a year is good. To see the answer to this, the calculation is as follows:

  • $60,000 (a year) divided by 52 weeks = $1,200 per week
  • $1,200 (a week) divided by 40 hours each week = $30.00 per hour

Calculating how many work hours in a year working full-time can provide you with a more detailed look into how much you are working, what you are getting paid, as well as any benefits you are able to reap on an annual basis.

Taking the time to calculate and reflect on your earnings can help you to determine whether or not you are in the position that is genuinely right for you.

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