How long does it take workers to earn the equivalent of a $1,200 stimulus check?

Burned through your $1,200 stimulus check yet?

There’s no doubt the aid has helped us keep our finances afloat in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. But the money especially has been a lifesaver for those who work in traditionally lower-paid occupations.

According to a recent survey by LendingTree, fast food and counter workers average $11.18 per hour and need to work 107 hours — or about 2 1/2 weeks — to earn $1,200.

Meanwhile, restaurant hosts and hostesses must work nearly 104 hours, or two more hours than cashiers, to make $1,200.

Not as many hours are required for credit counselors and loan officers, compliance officers, and property, real estate and community association managers, who need work only 34 to 35 hours to pocket the same amount.

LendingTree researchers analyzed the 100 most common occupations in which workers earn less than $75,000 annual adjusted gross incomes: the cap for receiving stimulus checks for the $1,200 maximum.

You can view the full results at www.lendingtree.com/personal/how-long-workers-earn-stimulus-check-study.

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Oklahoma City native and Portland, Oregon, composer and songwriter Timothy O’Brien more than welcomed the aid.

“The arts are underfunded, and it’s a miracle I can pay rent, considering the music writing and publishing I do takes me 35 hours to 50 hours a week,” O’Brien said.

Oklahoma City residents Cecilia Sharp and Christine O’zee must work two months and 20 days, respectively, to earn $1,200.

Sharp works part-time at Quail Springs United Methodist Church and O’zee, who’s gone back to school to complete her bachelor’s degree, works as a substitute teacher.

Meanwhile, a friend’s daughter, who works as a receptionist at an eye clinic and prefers not to be named, earns $13.10 an hour and puts in about 91.6 hours to take home $1,200.

“During the pandemic, I’ve not been able to get my five to 10 hours of overtime pay per week,“ she said. “With the debits to my paycheck for taxes, insurance, parking, retirement and my flexible spending account, I usually walk away with about $750 every two weeks.”

The stimulus checks in Oklahoma had the third highest impact nationally, according to a separate analysis by Ownerly.com, which provides home value estimates. Behind Mississippi and Arkansas, stimulus checks in Oklahoma average $2,434 per household, which would cover 169% of typical monthly bills of $1,437.

Ownerly used U.S. Census data to determine the average household’s estimated stimulus check amount in each state, and then compared that figure to a family’s typical monthly expenses, including housing, utilities and mobile phone costs. The stimulus checks made the lowest impact in Massachusetts, where stimulus checks average $1,897 per household, and would cover only 65% of typical monthly bills of $2,880.

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As of last week, the federal government has mailed some 152 million stimulus payments, with more checks coming.

The agency plans to sharply increase the number of payments it mails into June.

The total amount of your stimulus check is based on your adjusted gross income (AGI) from your 2019 federal tax filing or, if you haven't filed this year, your 2018 return.

If your AGI reaches $99,000, you’re ineligible to receive the stimulus check. But heads of household who earn up to $112,500 qualify, and jointly filing childless couples who earn below $150,000, qualify for a $2,400 stimulus.

Moreover, parents are eligible for a payment of $500 for each child 16 and younger, based on the parents' 2019 or 2018 returns.

You don't have to pay taxes on any stimulus payment you receive from the Internal Revenue Service. It's also not an advance on your usual tax refund.

Still waiting on your stimulus check?

Go to irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment and fill out the form to find out when your check will be processed.