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Work Hours Calculator

Work out how many hours you worked between two times, minus breaks.

Hours workedExample

8:30

8.50 decimal hours

0 minutes

What this answers

How many hours are between two times. Enter when you started, when you finished and how long your unpaid break was, and you get the answer in three forms: 8:30 as a clock reads it, 8.50 as payroll wants it, and 8 hours 30 minutes in words.

It works whether or not the two times are a shift. 9 to 5 is eight hours whether you spent it at work, on a drive or in a workshop; leave the break blank if there was not one.

If you need a whole week — several days, overtime above 40 hours, gross pay to hand in — the Time Card Calculator is the tool for that. This page stays small on purpose.

How to use it

  1. Enter your start time. Both 17:00 and 5:00 PM are understood.
  2. Enter your end time.
  3. Add your unpaid break in minutes, if you took one.
  4. Add your hourly rate to see what the shift was worth.

A worked example

A shift from 08:45 to 17:15 with a 30-minute unpaid lunch, at $18.50 an hour:

  • 08:45 to 17:15 is 8 hours 30 minutes.
  • Minus 30 minutes of unpaid break: 8 hours exactly.
  • In decimal hours: 8.00.
  • At $18.50 an hour: $148.00 for the shift, before deductions.

Hours and minutes, or decimal hours?

Both describe the same time, and mixing them up is expensive. A clock reads 7:45. Payroll wants 7.75, because 45 minutes is three-quarters of an hour. Writing 7.45 on a time sheet claims 7 hours 27 minutes and loses you 18 minutes of pay.

To convert by hand, divide the minutes by 60:

decimal hours = hours + (minutes ÷ 60)

So 15 minutes is 0.25, 20 minutes is 0.33, 30 minutes is 0.5 and 45 minutes is 0.75. This page shows both, so there is nothing to convert.

Unpaid breaks

A break is unpaid when you are free of duty for it — a genuine lunch you can leave for. Short rest breaks, typically under 20 minutes, are normally paid and should not be subtracted here. If you are told to stay at your desk to answer the phone, that is not an unpaid break, even when it is called one.

Rounding

Rounding is off by default, so what you type is what is counted. If your employer rounds to the nearest quarter hour, switch it on and each time is rounded before the subtraction, which is how payroll systems do it. Rounding must be neutral over time rather than always in the employer's favor.

What this does not do

It shows gross pay for one shift. It knows nothing about tax, deductions, overtime thresholds or the rest of your week — for overtime, use the Time Card Calculator, which counts the full week against a threshold.

Questions

How do I calculate hours worked between two times?

Subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract any unpaid break. From 09:00 to 17:30 is 8 hours 30 minutes; take off a 45-minute lunch and you have 7 hours 45 minutes, or 7.75 decimal hours.

What about a shift that finishes after midnight?

Enter the times as they happened, such as 22:00 to 06:00. When the end time is not later than the start time, the shift is treated as running past midnight, so that example is 8 hours.

Do I have to subtract my lunch break?

As general information, not as advice for your situation: federal law does not require a lunch break at all. When one happens, a bona fide meal period of 30 minutes or more where you are completely relieved of duty is unpaid and belongs in the break field above; a short break of about 5 to 20 minutes is paid work time and should not be subtracted. Some states go further — California, for one, requires meal periods on shifts of a given length. This page applies 29 CFR 785.18 and 785.19, named in the note on this page; check your own state for anything stricter.

Why does payroll want 7.75 instead of 7:45?

Payroll systems multiply hours by a rate, which needs a decimal number. 45 minutes is 0.75 of an hour, so 7:45 becomes 7.75. Writing 7.45 instead is the most common time card mistake, and it underpays by 18 minutes.

How many hours is 9 to 5?

Eight hours before any break, and seven and a half with a 30-minute unpaid lunch. Enter 09:00 and 17:00 above to see it, and add the break if you take one.

How many hours is a shift that ends at a half hour, like 9 to 5:30?

8 hours 30 minutes, or 8.5 in decimal hours. Half an hour is 0.5, not 0.30 — writing 8.30 on a time sheet claims 8 hours 18 minutes.

Does it handle a whole week?

No, and deliberately so. This page answers one shift as fast as possible. For a week of shifts with overtime and gross pay, use the Time Card Calculator, which is linked from this page.

Is my information sent anywhere?

No. The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you type is transmitted, stored or logged.