Skip to content

Hours Calculator

Hours between two times, with breaks and overnight shifts. Add a row for each one.

How to calculate hours between two times

  1. Change both times to 24-hour form. 2:15 PM becomes 14:15. Midnight is 00:00.
  2. Subtract the start from the end. 14:15 minus 8:30 is 5 hours 45 minutes. If the end is earlier than the start, add 24 hours to the end first.
  3. Take out unpaid breaks. A 30 minute unpaid lunch turns 8 hours 30 minutes into 8 hours.
  4. Turn minutes into decimals if you need to. Divide the minutes by 60. 45 minutes is 0.75, so 5 hours 45 minutes is 5.75 hours.

Common work hours

ShiftUnpaid breakHoursDecimal
9:00 AM to 5:00 PMnone8:008.00
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM60 min8:008.00
9:00 AM to 5:30 PM30 min8:008.00
7:00 AM to 3:30 PM30 min8:008.00
8:30 AM to 6:00 PM30 min9:009.00
10:00 AM to 4:15 PMnone6:156.25
11:00 AM to 7:45 PM30 min8:158.25
10:00 PM to 6:30 AM30 min8:008.00

For a full minute-by-minute list, see the minutes to decimal hours chart.

Hours calculator FAQ

How do I calculate the hours between two times?

Write both times in 24-hour form, subtract the start from the end, then take out any unpaid break. 8:45 AM to 5:15 PM is 08:45 to 17:15, which is 8 hours 30 minutes. With a 30 minute lunch, that is 8 hours.

What if the shift goes past midnight?

Enter the times as they are. When the end time is earlier than the start time, the calculator counts it as the next day. 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM is 8 hours 30 minutes.

How do I turn hours and minutes into decimal hours?

Divide the minutes by 60 and add them to the hours. 7 hours 45 minutes is 7 + 45 ÷ 60 = 7.75 hours. Payroll systems usually ask for decimal hours.

Should I subtract my lunch break?

Subtract only unpaid breaks, usually a meal break of 30 minutes or more. Short rest breaks of 5 to 20 minutes are paid time under federal rules, so leave them in.

Can I add up a whole week?

Yes. Add a row for each shift and the total adds them together. For overtime and a timecard you can hand in, use the Time Card Calculator, which also applies state overtime rules.

What about more than 24 hours in one shift?

Split it into two rows, one ending at midnight and one starting at midnight. Each row can be up to 24 hours.

Adding up a pay period? The Time Card Calculator splits it into workweeks and applies overtime.

Time Card Calculator