Free Tool · 1 free use per week
Calculate required FTE from monthly contact volume, AHT, shift length, and shrinkage.
Last verified: March 2026
Quick FTE estimation for workforce planning. This calculator divides total handle hours by available agent hours, then adjusts for shrinkage. It gives a monthly average — for interval-level precision accounting for call arrival patterns and queue dynamics, use the Erlang C Calculator.
Industry benchmark: 23%. Use the Shrinkage Calculator for a precise figure.
Shrinkage Overhead (% of total FTE)27.0% — High
Low BufferStandardHighCritical
Industry Context
Typical Buffer10-15%
Standard Shift40hr
Shrinkage Multiplier0.3x
Full-Time EquivFTE
FORMULA
Handle hours = (50,000 × 300s) ÷ 3600 = 4,167h
Agent hours/mo = 8h × 5d × 4.33 = 173h
Raw FTE = 4,167 ÷ 173 = 24.1
Adjusted FTE = 24.1 ÷ (1 − 25%) = 33
Agent hours/mo = 8h × 5d × 4.33 = 173h
Raw FTE = 4,167 ÷ 173 = 24.1
Adjusted FTE = 24.1 ÷ (1 − 25%) = 33
Key:33 FTE covers 50,000 contacts/month at 5min AHT. The 8 FTE difference between raw and adjusted is your shrinkage tax. Use Erlang C for interval-level precision.
