Hours Calculator
Calculate total hours between a start and end time, minus any breaks.
| Shift length (gross) | Net hours after break |
|---|---|
| 8 hours | 7.5 hrs (7h 30m) |
| 9 hours | 8.5 hrs (8h 30m) |
| 10 hours | 9.5 hrs (9h 30m) |
| 12 hours | 11.5 hrs (11h 30m) |
Frequently asked questions
How does this handle overnight shifts?
If your end time is earlier than your start time (like 10pm to 6am), the calculator automatically treats it as an overnight shift and adds a full day, so the hours calculate correctly.
What if I don't take a break?
Set the unpaid break field to 0, and the full duration between your start and end time will be counted.
Can I use this for payroll or timesheets?
This tool provides a quick, straightforward calculation useful for personal tracking or estimates. For official payroll purposes, check with your employer about their specific timekeeping requirements.
Does this account for multiple breaks?
Enter your total unpaid break time across the whole shift as a single number in minutes — if you took two 15-minute breaks, for example, enter 30.
How many hours is a 9-5 shift with a 30-minute break?
A 9am–5pm shift is 8 hours gross; subtracting a 30-minute unpaid break gives 7.5 hours (7h 30m) worked — try it in the calculator above with those exact times.
How do I convert hours and minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60 and add to the hours — for example, 7 hours 30 minutes is 7 + 30/60 = 7.5 decimal hours, which is what the “Total hours” figure above shows.
What's a typical unpaid break length?
30 minutes is a common unpaid lunch break for an 8-hour shift, though this varies by employer, location, and labor law. Adjust the break field above to match your actual schedule.
How do I calculate the hours I worked in a week?
Work out the net hours for each day, add them together, and convert the total minutes to hours. In the sample week above the five days add up to 37 hours 45 minutes, or 37.75 hours.
How are overtime hours worked out?
Overtime rules depend on where you work and your contract. In the US, many hourly employees are entitled to overtime pay for hours over 40 in a workweek, but other countries and employers use daily limits or different rates. Use this calculator for the hours, then apply your own overtime rule.
Should I round my start and end times?
Only if your employer's policy says to. Some employers round to the nearest five minutes or quarter hour. Entering the exact times gives you an accurate record to compare against your pay.
About this tool
This calculator finds the total hours between a start and end time, automatically handling overnight shifts and letting you subtract unpaid break time. Useful for tracking work hours, shifts, or any time-based duration.
Worked example
Suppose you start at 8:45 am, finish at 5:15 pm and take a 45-minute unpaid break. The gap between the two times is 8 hours 30 minutes, and subtracting the break leaves 7 hours 45 minutes, which is 7.75 in decimal hours. Over a five-day week that comes to 38.75 hours.
Decimal hours are what most payroll and invoicing systems expect: multiply 7.75 by your hourly rate to get the day's pay. If a shift crosses midnight, enter the real start and end times and the calculator will count it as an overnight shift.
More shifts worked out
| Start | End | Break (min) | Net hours | Hours : minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 17:00 | 30 | 7.50 | 7h 30m |
| 08:30 | 17:00 | 45 | 7.75 | 7h 45m |
| 07:00 | 15:30 | 30 | 8.00 | 8h 0m |
| 22:00 | 06:00 | 30 | 7.50 | 7h 30m |
| 18:00 | 02:30 | 60 | 7.50 | 7h 30m |
| 09:15 | 13:45 | 0 | 4.50 | 4h 30m |
The overnight rows show how the calculator treats an end time earlier than the start time: it assumes the shift ends the next day. It cannot handle a shift longer than 24 hours, so split very long periods into separate entries.
Converting minutes to decimal hours
Payroll systems usually want decimal hours, so 7 hours 45 minutes is entered as 7.75. To convert, divide the minutes by 60.
| Minutes | Decimal hours | Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0.08 | 35 | 0.58 |
| 10 | 0.17 | 40 | 0.67 |
| 15 | 0.25 | 45 | 0.75 |
| 20 | 0.33 | 50 | 0.83 |
| 25 | 0.42 | 55 | 0.92 |
Minutes such as 10 and 20 give repeating decimals (0.1667 and 0.3333), and 30 minutes is exactly 0.5, which is why the calculator rounds to two decimal places. Check whether your employer rounds to the nearest minute, five minutes, or quarter hour.
Adding up a week
Work out each day, then add the net minutes before converting to hours. A sample week:
| Day | Start | End | Break (min) | Net hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 09:00 | 17:30 | 30 | 8.00 |
| Tue | 09:00 | 17:30 | 30 | 8.00 |
| Wed | 08:30 | 17:00 | 30 | 8.00 |
| Thu | 09:00 | 18:00 | 45 | 8.25 |
| Fri | 09:00 | 15:00 | 30 | 5.50 |
The week totals 37 hours 45 minutes, or 37.75 hours. At $22.00 an hour that is $830.50 before tax. Adding up minutes before converting avoids the small rounding errors that creep in when you round each day separately.
Tips for accurate timesheets
- Record times when you work, not at the end of the week. Memory is poor at estimating start and finish times.
- Enter only unpaid breaks. Paid breaks count as working time and should not be deducted.
- Check your local rules on breaks and overtime. Break entitlements and overtime thresholds differ by country, state and contract, and this tool does not apply them.
- Keep a copy. If a pay query comes up later, your own record of start and end times helps resolve it.