Calculate FTE and headcount separately
Scheduled FTE = total scheduled hours ÷ full-time hours for the same period. Headcount is the number of people. Six people working 40 hours and four working 24 hours supply 336 weekly hours. At a 40-hour full-time baseline, that is 8.4 FTE and 10 people.
| Group | People | Hours per person | Team hours | FTE at 40 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | 6 | 40 | 240 | 6.0 |
| Part-time | 4 | 24 | 96 | 2.4 |
| Total | 10 | — | 336 | 8.4 |
Keep 8.4 as the measured capacity. Rounding it up to nine would imply 360 scheduled hours under this baseline, which the team does not supply.
Choose a consistent full-time baseline
The same 336 weekly hours represents 8.96 FTE with a 37.5-hour denominator. Changing the denominator changes the reporting unit, not the team's working hours. Record it beside every result.
A 24-hour employee is 0.60 FTE under a 40-hour baseline or 0.64 FTE under 37.5. Conversely, 0.8 FTE is 32 hours at 40 or 30 hours at 37.5. Use the FTE percentage-to-hours chart to compare common fractions.
For monthly FTE, match monthly hours with a monthly baseline. A team scheduled for 504 hours in a month with a 168-hour full-time schedule provides 3.0 FTE for that month. Do not divide monthly hours by 40, and do not assume every calendar month contains the same full-time hours.
Build the FTE calculator in Excel
Create columns A: group, B: people, C: weekly hours per person, D: group hours, and E: FTE. Put the full-time weekly baseline, 40, in H2.
- In row 2 enter Full-time, 6 and 40 in A2:C2. In row 3 enter Part-time, 4 and 24.
- In D2 use
=B2*C2. In E2 use=D2/$H$2. Copy both formulas down one row. - Use
=SUM(B2:B3)for headcount,=SUM(D2:D3)for hours and=SUM(E2:E3)for FTE. - Cross-check FTE with
=SUMPRODUCT(B2:B3,C2:C3)/$H$2. It should return 8.4.
Enter numeric headcounts and hours, keep the baseline positive and use equally sized ranges. Microsoft documents how SUMPRODUCT multiplies corresponding rows and adds their results. This worksheet is a scheduled-capacity calculation; it is not a statutory reporting template.
Avoid double counting and check coverage
Count each person once in team-wide headcount. If one employee works 16 hours on project A and 24 on project B, those projects receive 0.4 and 0.6 FTE under a 40-hour baseline. Together they still represent one person and 1.0 FTE.
Scheduled capacity also differs from productive capacity. If 336 scheduled hours lose 20% to the unavailable time included in your planning definition, usable capacity is 336 × 0.80 = 268.8 hours. Do not apply that deduction again if the input hours already exclude those activities.
Finally, check the roster. Enough total weekly FTE does not guarantee Friday coverage, the right qualifications or enough people at a particular hour. Use the shift coverage calculator after estimating capacity.
Frequently asked questions
Can FTE be higher than headcount?
A raw hours ratio can exceed headcount if the hours counted per person exceed the selected baseline. Check whether overtime belongs in the measure before interpreting the result.
Should I round FTE up when hiring?
Keep measured capacity precise. Whole-person hiring is a separate decision based on the hours and availability each new hire will supply.
Does this calculate benefit eligibility?
No. This method compares scheduled capacity. Eligibility and reporting systems can define counted hours, averaging periods and limits differently.
Enter your groups in the FTE calculator, or continue with workload-to-staffing planning.