Hours Calculator

Hours calculator at a glance#

An hours calculator works out how many hours and minutes fall between a start time and an end time, such as the hours you worked in a shift. It subtracts the end time from the start time, then deducts any unpaid breaks to give the hours actually worked.

For example, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM is 8 hours and 30 minutes, or 8.5 hours. Subtract a 30 minute lunch break and you have 8 hours worked. To convert the minutes into decimal hours, divide the minutes by 60: 30 minutes is 0.5 hours, so 8 hours and 30 minutes becomes 8.5 hours.

For 24 hour or military time, do the same subtraction without AM or PM: 17:30 minus 9:00 is 8 hours and 30 minutes. If the shift runs past midnight, the calculator carries the clock over to the next day so the hours still add up.

Enter your start time, end time and any break minutes in the calculator above for the exact result in hours, minutes and decimal hours. Times are rounded to the nearest minute, so check your timesheet against local rounding rules before you log payroll.

How the hours calculator works#

Enter a start time and an end time and the calculator subtracts one from the other to get the hours and minutes between them. Then it subtracts any unpaid break so the result is the hours you actually worked. The formula is end time minus start time minus break.

Worked example: a shift from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM is 8 hours 30 minutes. Take off a 30 minute unpaid lunch and you have 8 hours 0 minutes worked. A break never halves the total; it is subtracted minute for minute, so a 30 minute break removes exactly 30 minutes.

Breaks and overtime#

Only unpaid breaks come off the total. Paid breaks stay in, because you are paid for them. Enter each unpaid break and the calculator deducts the sum from the gross hours. For example, 8 hours 30 minutes gross with two 15 minute unpaid breaks leaves 8 hours worked.

For overtime, compare the worked hours against the standard threshold yourself: hours above 40 in a week, or above 8 in a day under some rules, are usually the overtime portion. The calculator gives the accurate worked total that those thresholds are measured against.

Time formats and overnight shifts#

The tool accepts both 12 hour time with AM and PM and 24 hour, or military, time. In 24 hour form the lunch example is 17:30 minus 9:00 minus 30 minutes, which is 8 hours. If a shift runs past midnight, set the end time on the next day and the calculator carries the clock over so the hours still add up.

Decimal hours for payroll#

Payroll often needs decimal hours rather than hours and minutes. Divide the minutes by 60: 15 minutes is 0.25, 30 minutes is 0.5, 45 minutes is 0.75. So 8 hours 30 minutes is 8.5 hours. The calculator shows both the hours-and-minutes and the decimal figure.

Frequently asked questions#

How does the hours calculator work?#

Enter your start and end times and any unpaid break. It subtracts the start from the end, then subtracts the break, to give the total hours worked. From 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM minus a 30 minute lunch is 8 hours.

How are breaks handled?#

Each unpaid break is subtracted from the gross time, minute for minute. A 30 minute break removes 30 minutes, not a share of the total. Paid breaks are left in. So 8 hours 30 minutes gross minus a 30 minute unpaid break is 8 hours worked.

I worked 9 to 5:30 with a 30 minute lunch. How many hours is that?#

8 hours. The span from 9:00 to 5:30 is 8 hours 30 minutes, and the unpaid 30 minute lunch comes off to leave 8 hours 0 minutes worked.

Can it show decimal hours?#

Yes. It converts the minutes by dividing by 60, so 8 hours 30 minutes shows as 8.5 hours. This is the format most payroll systems expect.

Does it take 12-hour and military time?#

Yes. Use AM and PM or 24 hour time. 17:30 minus 9:00 gives the same 8 hours 30 minutes as 5:30 PM minus 9:00 AM.

Can it handle overnight shifts?#

Yes. When the end time is earlier on the clock than the start, set it on the next day and the calculator carries past midnight, so a 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM shift counts as 8 hours.