Part-Time Vs. Full-Time: What’s The Difference?

While most Americans think of a full-time job as working 40 hours a week, the differences between full-time and part-time aren’t legally defined – at least, not federally. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) does define a full-time job as someone who works 30 or more hours per week; however, that only relates to whether or not employers are obligated to offer health insurance.

However, despite that, employers are allowed to set their own definitions. Many opt for 32 hours per week (though that may have dropped to 30 with the passage of the ACA), while others will set it at 35.

As a rule, full-time workers are entitled to benefits. These vary depending on the company’s rules and size, but they often include health insurance, sick leave, vacation time, and family leave.

Part-time workers aren’t required to be offered these benefits. Depending on the number of hours they work, they may qualify for family leave, or the employer may offer paid time off (PTO), but neither of these is required.

However, part-time workers can have a more flexible schedule, and if they’re also students or caretakers, working 40 hours per week may not be possible for them.

In addition, students can be either full-time or part-time. For undergraduate students, that would be 12 or more credit hours. For graduate students, it’s 9 credit hours.

The main difference is going to be how quickly you’re able to finish your degree and whether or not you have the time to work during your education. It can also have effects on the loans you can take out and other opportunities such as internships.

Key Takeaways:

What Is Considered Part-Time?

Part-time jobs are typically under 30 hours per week. However, that’s not a hard and fast rule. The business doing the hiring is allowed to choose how many hours constitute full-time. Part-time employees aren’t entitled to as many benefits as full-time employees are, which allows employers to hire them more cheaply as a rule.

Part-time work is typically more flexible than full-time work, though there are several part-time positions that have set hours. Part-time work is most often found in “unskilled” jobs, such as retail, fast food, and other service positions.

While most part-time employees can get health insurance through their employer, it usually isn’t at the same rate as full-time workers. They may or may not qualify for PTO or family leave, depending on the number of hours that they work. Many of these benefits require having worked for the employer for a minimum amount of time and putting in a minimum number of hours.

Part-time work does have the benefit of not being required to put in as many hours. It’s almost invariably hourly and often gives you more flexibility. This is especially important if you’re also a student, a caretaker, or have other passions you wish to pursue.

For a student, part-time is going to be under 12 credit hours for an undergraduate and under 9 for a graduate student. Many loans require you to be a full-time student; however, there is assistance that part-time students are able to get. It will also allow you to work while in school or to take part in an internship.

What Is Considered Full Time?

The general conception of full-time work is that you put in 40 hours per week. However, it isn’t that cut and dried. Labor laws, particularly the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), require that employees who work over 40 hours per week be given overtime pay – usually a time and a half.

State laws may be stricter or require more pay, which effectively limits full-time to 40 hours per week.

In order to not run afoul of overtime requirements, many employers set full-time at 32 or 35 hours. If you’re a salaried worker, then the number of hours that you work isn’t so strictly controlled, which means that you can work fewer than 32 hours and still get your salary.

Full-time employees are entitled to other benefits as well. Exactly those are typically decided by the employer themselves; however, there are federal and state requirements. The ACA requires that employees who work 30 or more hours per week are required to be offered discounted health insurance through their employer.

Family leave to care for sick family members is also a requirement due to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), although the employees need to have worked for more than 1,250 hours in the past year. Maternity leave is also required in many places, and some offer paternity leave as well.

If you’re a student, taking 12 or more credit hours per semester makes you full-time. There can be benefits to this, as some schools have a cap for tuition, meaning that if you take more than 12 credit hours, you’ll still pay the same price. Graduate students are considered full-time if they take nine or more credit hours per semester.

Part-Time vs Full-Time FAQ

1. What are the benefits of hiring part-time workers?

   The benefit to hiring part-time workers is that, as a rule, they’re less expensive and allow for more flexibility. Part-time employees aren’t entitled to health insurance or several other benefits that full-time employees are.

   Requirements vary from state to state, but most states don’t require the same sort of benefits for part-timers. If they’re part-time, there’s often more flexibility in their scheduling as well.

2. Do part-time workers get sick pay?

   Part-time workers aren’t usually entitled to sick pay, but it will depend on the locality and how many hours they work. The FMLA requires up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for sick family members, so long as they meet the 1,250-hour yearly requirement.

   Sick leave is not required to be offered until employees have been with a company for a certain amount of time. The length of time will vary depending on the state and the company’s own rules.

3. How many hours a week is considered full-time?

   There is no hard and fast rule for how many hours are considered full-time, but most employers opt for 32 hours. 40 hours is the cutoff before you’re entitled to overtime pay, but employers are allowed to decide for themselves how many hours puts you in the full-time category at their business.

   That being said, the ACA considers employees who work over 30 hours to be entitled to health insurance benefits and therefore considers that number of hours full-time. However, that’s the only piece of federal legislation that marks a certain number of hours as full-time as opposed to part-time.

4. How many classes do you need to take to be considered a full-time student?

   You need to take 12 credit hours to be considered a full-time undergraduate student. As most classes are three or four credit hours, that means you will likely need to take three or four classes per semester. Some labs are more credit hours, meaning that you could take fewer classes if you take a class that includes lab time.

   If you’re a graduate student, you need nine credit hours to be considered full-time. Graduate classes are often more involved and specialized, meaning that they require more time and work. It’s also understood that most graduate students have other obligations, such as work or family.

5. Is it better to work full-time or part-time?

   The general consensus is that it’s better to work full-time than part-time. Full-time workers are entitled to much better benefits, such as health insurance, vacation time, maternity leave, and sick pay.

   If you’re full-time, being salaried is much more common as well, which is also considered a preferable arrangement as your pay isn’t based on hourly output.

   However, part-time workers do have more flexibility – as a rule – than full-time workers. It also requires less time in the office, which makes it easier for those who are disabled, are going to school, have young children to care for, or have other obligations.

Author

Di Doherty

Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.