Hours Calculator
Enter a start time, an end time and any unpaid break to get the hours worked — as hours and minutes, and as the decimal hours payroll systems use. Shifts that cross midnight are detected automatically.
How hours between times are calculated
Convert both times to minutes since midnight (hours × 60 + minutes), subtract the start from the end, and take off the unpaid break. If the end time is not after the start time, the shift crossed midnight, so 24 hours are added first.
Payroll usually wants decimal hours: divide the minutes by 60. The common lookup: 15 min = 0.25 h, 30 min = 0.50 h, 45 min = 0.75 h, and each minute is 1/60 ≈ 0.0167 h. 7 h 45 min is 7.75 hours, not 7.45.
Worked examples
Example 1: a standard work day
9:00 AM to 5:30 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch.
- Convert to minutes since midnight.17:30 = 1,050; 09:00 = 540
- Subtract.1,050 − 540 = 510 min
- Take off the break and convert.510 − 30 = 480 min = 8.0 hours
8 hours exactly — the classic 9-to-5:30 with lunch.
Example 2: decimal hours for payroll
8:15 AM to 4:45 PM with a 45-minute break — what goes on the timesheet?
- Minutes between the times.16:45 − 08:15 = 510 min
- Subtract the break.510 − 45 = 465 min
- Convert to decimal hours.465 ÷ 60 = 7.75 h (7 h 45 min)
7.75 decimal hours — write 7.75, not 7.45.
Example 3: overnight shift
Security shift from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, no break.
- The end time is "before" the start, so add 24 hours to it.06:00 + 24 h = 30:00
- Subtract.30:00 − 22:00 = 8 hours
8 hours, crossing midnight.
FAQ
How do I convert minutes to decimal hours?+
Divide by 60. 20 minutes = 0.33 h, 40 minutes = 0.67 h. The quarter-hour points are exact: 15/30/45 minutes = 0.25/0.50/0.75.
Is 7.5 hours the same as 7 hours 50 minutes?+
No — 7.5 decimal hours is 7 hours 30 minutes. The digits after the decimal point are hundredths of an hour, not minutes. This mix-up is the most common timesheet error.
Should breaks be paid or unpaid?+
Under US federal law (FLSA), short breaks of 5–20 minutes are normally paid work time, while a real meal break of 30+ minutes where you're fully relieved can be unpaid. States add their own rules — California requires a 30-minute meal break before the end of the 5th hour.
How does the calculator know a shift is overnight?+
If the end time is at or before the start time, it assumes the end is on the next day and adds 24 hours. A same-time entry therefore reads as 24 hours minus the break, not zero.
How do I add up hours for a whole week?+
Compute each day with this calculator and add the decimal hours. A weekly time-card calculator with overtime is planned as a separate tool.
Related calculators
- Time CalculatorAdd and subtract times in hours, minutes and seconds with a running total — carries at 60 handled for you, with the seconds math shown.
- Time Card CalculatorFree weekly time card calculator: enter daily start, end and breaks to total the week's hours in decimal form, with optional gross pay at an hourly rate.
- Time to Decimal ConverterConvert hours and minutes to decimal hours for payroll, and decimal hours back to time — with the ÷60 math shown and a minutes cheat sheet.