Hours calculator: hours worked between two times, for a day or a week
Enter a start time, an end time and the break. The calculator gives the hours worked in hours and minutes and in decimal, for one shift or for each day of the week with the total. Night shifts that finish after midnight are handled. Nothing is stored.
Hours between two times
Hours worked: 8:00 = 8.00 decimal hours (480 minutes)
An end time earlier than the start is treated as the next day (night shift). Breaks are deducted.
Hours worked in a week
| Day | Start | End | Break (min) | Hours | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 8:00 | 8.00 | |||
| Tuesday | 8:00 | 8.00 | |||
| Wednesday | 8:00 | 8.00 | |||
| Thursday | 8:00 | 8.00 | |||
| Friday | 5:30 | 5.50 | |||
| Saturday | · | · | |||
| Sunday | · | · | |||
| Week total | 37:30 | 37.50 | |||
Convert hours and minutes to decimal (and back)
= 7.75 decimal hours
= 7:45 hours:minutes
| 5 min = 0.08 | 10 min = 0.17 | 15 min = 0.25 | 20 min = 0.33 | 30 min = 0.50 | 40 min = 0.67 | 45 min = 0.75 | 50 min = 0.83 |
Worked example
A shift from 8:30 to 17:15 with a 45-minute unpaid lunch: 17:15 minus 8:30 is 8 hours 45 minutes; minus 45 minutes is 8 hours, or 8.00 in decimal. A night shift from 22:00 to 06:30 with a 30-minute break: 06:30 is the next day, so 30:30 minus 22:00 is 8 hours 30 minutes; minus 30 minutes is 8 hours. Four of each in a week is 64 hours, 64.00 decimal.
Decimal matters at payroll: 8 hours 20 minutes is 8.33, not 8.20. Multiplying 8.20 by the rate underpays 8 minutes a day, 40 a week. The converter above and the decimal hours converter both do the division.
From hours to pay: the rules by country
- United States: overtime at time and a half beyond 40 hours in the workweek under the FLSA, daily overtime in California and a few other states, and time clock rounding within the 7-minute rule. The time card calculator applies all three; the overtime calculator does the week.
- United Kingdom: no statutory overtime rate; the contract decides. The Working Time Regulations cap the average at 48 hours over 17 weeks and require 11 hours between shifts: the eight rules. Holiday in hours for variable weeks: the holiday entitlement calculator.
- Breaks: whether the break is deducted depends on the law where the shift happens and on whether the person was really off duty. US rules by state: break laws in the US. UK: UK rest breaks.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I calculate hours worked?
- Subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract the unpaid break. 9:00 to 17:30 is 8 hours 30 minutes; with a 30-minute break it is 8 hours. For a shift that ends after midnight, add 24 hours to the end time first: 22:00 to 06:00 is 8 hours.
- How do I convert hours and minutes to decimal?
- Divide the minutes by 60 and add them to the hours. 7 hours 45 minutes is 7 + 45/60 = 7.75. Payroll systems multiply decimal hours by the hourly rate, which is why 7:45 at $20 is $155, not $149 (7.45 × 20).
- Does the break count as hours worked?
- An unpaid break is deducted. Whether a break may be unpaid depends on where you work: in the US a meal period of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid only if the employee is fully relieved of duty, and breaks of 5 to 20 minutes are paid; in the UK the statutory 20-minute break is unpaid unless the contract says otherwise.
- How many hours is 9 to 5?
- Eight hours from 9:00 to 17:00, or 7.5 hours if a 30-minute unpaid lunch is deducted. Over five days that is 40 or 37.5 hours.
- Does this calculate overtime?
- It gives the hours. Overtime depends on the rules where you operate. For US workweeks with overtime after 40 hours, California daily rules and 7-minute rounding, use the time card calculator; for the UK, overtime is contractual and the 48-hour average limit applies over 17 weeks.
- What is the difference between an hours calculator and a time card calculator?
- An hours calculator works out time between two clock times. A time card calculator does that for a pay period and applies pay rules: overtime thresholds, rounding, pay rates. Use this page for the arithmetic, the time card calculator for US payroll.
Stop typing times into a calculator
When the team clocks in from their phone, the hours, breaks and weekly totals are already there, per person, ready for payroll. Free up to 10 people.
Try it free