If you have come across a part-time employee job description without any description at all, then you are definitely not alone. It is one of those words that are commonly known to people, but yet there is hardly an agreed definition of the word regarding part time hours.
Employers may mean something totally different than the IRS, and the state itself may have its own rules about the word.
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The Short Answer
A part-time job is a job that does not exceed 35 hours a week, whereas the typical kind of employment falls between 20 and 29 hours a week.
There are no specific federal rules and regulations stating how many hours is a part time job. The U.S. Department of Labor has made no such requirement in its regulations and left it up to the employers themselves to decide on that.
Despite the fact that the IRS and ACA do provide an answer to this question, their definition is relevant only to insurance matters and is equal to working less than 30 hours a week (130 hours per month).
How Many Hours a Week is Part-Time?
Here’s how the definitions of part-time job hours per week vary according to different contexts:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (data reporting): anything under 35 hours per week
- Most employers: anything under 35 hours per week
- ACA/Health Benefits: anything under 30 hours per week
- Retail and hourly jobs: 20-29 hours per week
- Some unions or companies: even as low as 15-25 hours
A company can technically call 25 hours a week part-time, while another employer can call 32 hours part-time, and both companies would have the equal right to decide part-time employee hours per week.
What Are Part-Time Hours Per Day?
Part-time working hours during the week result in working between about 4 and 6 hours per day. However, there are employers who have particular requirements. Some jobs may have shorter shifts for longer periods; others may employ staff for fewer days but longer shifts. How many hours you work each day will depend on how your employer organizes shifts.
Part-Time vs. Full-Time: Key Differences
This is where most people try to define the job classifications because of the vagueness of the phrase “full-time” in federal regulations. The following is a list of items:
| Classification | Typical Hours/Week |
| Part-time | Under 30–35 |
| Full-time | 35–40+ |
| ACA full-time (for benefits) | 30+ |
Full-time employees are expected to work 32 hours per week and can also be classified as part-time employees according to the ACA requirement of working less than 30 hours per week.
Do Part-Time Employees Get Paid Time Off?
No, part-time employees do not get paid time off.
PTO is not mandated by any federal rules, this is totally at the discretion of the employer. Some organizations provide pro-rated PTO to their part-timers.
How Many Work Hours Are in a Month?
A rough calculation of the average monthly work hours can be done using the following calculation:
- Full Time (40 hours per week): 173 hours per month
- Part Time (25 hours per week): 108 hours per month
- Part Time (20 hours per week): 87 hours per month
The calculation is made using the assumption that a month has 4.33 weeks.
Does Working Hours Vary by State?
Yes. States such as California and Florida do not have any unique definitions of “part-time,” as many people believe; they follow the same way of defining jobs as employer discretion under federal law.
The only difference that comes about when state laws come into play is with things like meal breaks, overtime limits, and minimum wage, which can mean different effects of part-time employment in different locations.
If you are working part-time in one of the states with better labor laws, you should check your state labor department’s website, as the details in the state laws get updated after longer intervals than “part-time” definitions.
Part-Time vs. Temporary Jobs: Not the Same Thing
There is a misunderstanding about part-time employment and temporary employment, which is that they are the same things. Part-time and temporary employment are often mentioned together but they deal with different issues.
- Part-time is used to describe the hours worked
- Temporary denotes the duration of the employment.
For example, a part-time job can last for years, and a full-time job can become temporary in the blink of an eye.
The Bottom Line
The definition of “part-time” is not entirely straightforward, as it differs from one entity or organization to another, such as the IRS, an employer, or a state labor office, etc.
Generally speaking, if your working hours are below the range of 30-35 hours per week, it should be safe to state that you are a part-time worker. If your working hours are close to the upper limit, it would probably be a good idea to double-check your status with your employer, especially if there are benefits attached to the number of hours you are working.
At the same time, if you are a part-time employee and you do need proof of income (e.g., to apply for an apartment or secure a loan), you can easily receive this document for yourself by generating an accurate pay stub at Free PayStub Now, based on your actual hours and your pay rate.
Quick FAQ
How many hours is considered part-time?
In general, not exceeding 35 hours per week, although for many businesses, “part-time” means less than 30 hours per week.
How many hours can a part-time worker work?
There is no such limitation to the number of hours that a “part-time” worker can work; a company may define its “part-time” workers as those who work less than 35 hours per week, for example.
What hours are considered part-time for benefits eligibility?
The ACA uses the threshold of 30 hours a week for purposes of employer-sponsored health insurance.
