You finally landed a job in the Garden State, or maybe you're a business owner trying to stay on the right side of the law. You’re asking a simple question: What is considered full time in NJ? Most people expect a single, solid number. "It’s 40 hours," they’ll tell you at the diner. "Actually, it’s 35," says your cousin who works in HR. Honestly, both of them are kinda right—and both are kinda wrong.
In New Jersey, there isn’t one "magic number" that applies to every situation. The state doesn't have a single law that says "If you work X hours, you are officially full-time for everything." Instead, it depends entirely on why you’re asking. Are you looking for health insurance? Overtime? Retirement benefits?
Let’s break down the reality of New Jersey labor hours without the corporate speak.
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The 40-Hour Myth and Overtime Reality
When most of us think of "full time," we think of the 40-hour workweek. This is mainly because of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and New Jersey’s own wage and hour laws.
Here is the thing: New Jersey law doesn't define "full time" as 40 hours. It just says that once you hit 40 hours in a seven-day workweek, you must be paid "time and one-half" ($1.5$ times) your regular rate.
If you work 35 hours, you aren't "part-time" in the eyes of the law in a way that hurts you—you're just an employee who hasn't hit the overtime threshold yet. Your employer can legally call a 32-hour week "full time" if they want to. They can also call a 50-hour week "full time."
The only thing the state cares about here is that if you're a non-exempt worker (basically anyone who isn't a high-level executive or a specific type of professional), you get that extra pay for hour 41 and beyond.
Health Insurance: The 25 vs. 30 Hour Split
This is where it gets confusing. If you’re looking for health benefits, the definition of what is considered full time in NJ shifts based on the size of the company.
Small Employers (2 to 50 employees)
New Jersey has specific rules for "Small Employer Health" (SEH) plans. For these companies, an "eligible employee" is generally defined as someone who works a normal workweek of 25 or more hours.
Wait, 25? Yes. If a small business in NJ chooses to offer health insurance, they generally have to offer it to everyone hitting that 25-hour mark. However—and this is a big "however"—employers can sometimes set their own internal threshold higher, like 32 or 35 hours, as long as they meet certain participation requirements (usually 75% of the staff).
Large Employers (50+ employees)
Once a company hits 50 full-time equivalent employees, the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) kicks in. Under the ACA, full-time is defined as 30 hours per week (or 130 hours per month).
If you work 30 hours for a giant corporation in Jersey City, the IRS considers you full-time for health insurance purposes. If they don't offer you coverage, they could face a penalty.
The 2026 Minimum Wage Context
As of January 1, 2026, New Jersey’s minimum wage has climbed to $15.92 per hour for most workers. If you’re a full-time worker at 40 hours a week, you're looking at a gross weekly pay of $636.80.
Small employers (fewer than six workers) and seasonal employers have a slightly lower rate of $15.23 per hour in 2026. This matters because if you're "full time" at a tiny mom-and-pop shop, your protections and pay rates might look a little different than at a big box store.
Sick Leave Doesn't Care About Your Status
One of the coolest things about Jersey labor law is the New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law. It basically ignores the whole "full time vs. part time" debate.
Whether you work 5 hours a week or 50, you earn 1 hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked. You can earn up to 40 hours of sick time per year. So, while a "full-time" worker will hit that 40-hour sick leave cap faster, a "part-time" worker is still legally entitled to the same protection.
Public Employees: A Different World
If you work for a local government or the state, things get even more specific. Under N.J. Admin. Code § 17:9-4.6, "full-time" for the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) is determined by the governing body of the employer.
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But they can't just say 10 hours is full time. The law sets a floor: it can never be less than 25 hours per week for local coverage.
What Most People Get Wrong
- "My boss said I'm part-time so I don't get overtime." Wrong. Overtime is based on hours worked, not your "status." If you work 45 hours, you get 5 hours of overtime pay, even if your contract says you're part-time.
- "I work 32 hours, so I'm legally entitled to health insurance." Not necessarily. Unless you're at a large company (30+ hours) or a small company that has chosen to offer a plan with a low hour threshold, the state doesn't force an employer to provide insurance. They just define who is eligible if a plan exists.
- "Full-time means I get vacation days." Nope. New Jersey law does NOT require employers to provide paid vacation or holiday pay. That’s strictly between you and your boss.
How to protect your rights in NJ
- Check Your Pay Stub: Ensure your "regular rate" is correct and that any hours over 40 are paid at $1.5x$.
- Ask for the Summary Plan Description (SPD): If you're wondering about benefits, don't guess. Ask HR for the SPD. It will explicitly state how many hours that specific company requires for insurance.
- Track Your Sick Time: You should see your accrued sick leave on your pay stub or in your payroll portal. If you're working 30+ hours, you should be seeing that balance go up almost every week.
- Verify Your Employer Size: If you're at 30 hours and getting no benefits, find out if your company has more than 50 employees. If they do, they might be in violation of ACA mandates.
If you feel like your employer is misclassifying you to avoid paying benefits or overtime, you can file a complaint with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL). They’re pretty aggressive about protecting workers, regardless of whether you're working 20 hours or 60.