Keeping track of the hours you work should be simple, but adding up start times, end times, and breaks by hand is slow and easy to get wrong. This free hours calculator does that work for you. Enter when you started, when you finished, and how long your break was, and you will see your worked time in both a clock format and in decimal hours.
The tool is useful for work shifts, timesheets, and quick payroll estimates — for checking a single shift or a full week. For more tools like this, visit our Everyday Life Calculators hub. There is no sign-up and nothing to download.
Hours Calculator
Enter your start and end times to work out how long your shift was, after breaks. You can also add days per week and an hourly rate for a weekly total and pay estimate.
Your Result
Worked time:
Decimal hours: hours
If the end time is earlier than the start time, the calculator treats the end time as the next day — for example, an overnight shift from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
What Is the Hours Calculator?
The Hours Calculator is a free online tool that finds how many hours and minutes you worked between a start time and an end time, after subtracting your break. It shows the result as hours and minutes, such as 8:00, and as decimal hours, such as 8.00 — the format most payroll systems use, because decimals are easier to multiply by an hourly rate.
You can also add how many days per week you work that same shift for a weekly total. If you add an hourly rate, it will also estimate your gross pay.
How Does It Work? The Hours Formula
The calculator uses a simple formula based on minutes, which avoids messy clock math.
Worked minutes = end time − start time − break
Here is what each part means:
- Start time is when your shift begins, converted into minutes since midnight. For example, 9:00 AM is 540 minutes.
- End time is when your shift ends, also converted into minutes since midnight. For example, 5:30 PM is 1,050 minutes.
- Break is the length of your unpaid break, in minutes.
- Worked minutes is the time you actually worked, after the break is removed.
- Days is the number of days per week you work this shift, from 1 to 7.
- Rate is your hourly pay rate, in dollars per hour, if you enter one.
Overnight rule: If the end time is earlier than or equal to the start time, the calculator treats it as the next day and adds 24 hours (1,440 minutes). So 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is counted as 8 hours.
Decimal conversion: Decimal hours = worked minutes ÷ 60. Weekly hours are daily decimal hours × days, and gross pay is weekly decimal hours × rate.
How to Use the Hours Calculator
- Enter your start time using the time field at the top.
- Enter your end time. For an overnight shift, enter the morning time as normal — the calculator handles the next-day rule.
- Enter your break in minutes. Leave it as 0 if you had no break.
- For a weekly total, enter days per week, from 1 to 7.
- For a pay estimate, enter your hourly rate, or leave it blank.
- Press Calculate and read your result in hours and minutes and in decimal hours, plus any weekly total and pay estimate.
- Press Reset to clear the form and start again.
Hours Calculator Example
Suppose you start work at 9:00 AM and finish at 5:30 PM, with a 30-minute break.
First, find the full shift length: from 09:00 to 17:30 is 510 minutes. Next, subtract the break: 510 − 30 = 480 worked minutes. Then convert to hours: 480 ÷ 60 = 8.00 hours. In clock format, that is 8:00, and in decimal format it is 8.00 hours.
Extend the example: 5 days a week gives 8.00 × 5 = 40.00 hours. At $20 per hour, gross pay is 40.00 × $20 = $800.00 for the week, before taxes. To estimate take-home pay, try our Paycheck Calculator.
Common Shift Lengths and Minutes to Decimal
The tables below show how breaks change paid time on a standard shift, and how common minute values convert to decimal hours.
| Shift | Break | Paid Time (Decimal Hours) |
|---|---|---|
| 8-hour shift | 0 minutes | 8.00 |
| 8-hour shift | 30 minutes | 7.50 |
| 8-hour shift | 60 minutes | 7.00 |
| Minutes | Decimal Hours |
|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 0.25 |
| 30 minutes | 0.50 |
| 45 minutes | 0.75 |
| 60 minutes | 1.00 |
Every 15 minutes is a quarter of an hour, or 0.25, so you can quickly check decimal timesheets by eye.
Important Points and Assumptions
- This calculator subtracts the full break you enter. Whether a break is paid or unpaid depends on your employer and the law that applies to you, so check your contract or workplace policy if you are unsure.
- The result assumes the same start time, end time, and break on each day when you use the days-per-week option. If your shifts vary, calculate each day separately and add the results.
- The pay figure is a gross estimate only. It does not include taxes, overtime premiums, bonuses, or other deductions.
- This is an estimate tool, not legal advice. For questions about pay, breaks, or overtime rights, speak to your employer, a payroll professional, or a qualified adviser.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting the break: Leaving the break at 0 when you took an unpaid lunch will overstate your hours.
- Mixing up overnight times: Entering 6:00 AM as the end of a night shift is correct here, but entering the start and end in the wrong order will give a very long shift.
- Reading 8:30 as 8.30: 8 hours and 30 minutes is 8.50 in decimal, not 8.30, because 30 minutes is half an hour.
- Using the wrong days count: A weekly total based on 5 days will be wrong if you actually worked 4 or 6 days that week.
- Expecting net pay: The pay estimate is before taxes, so it will be higher than your final take-home pay.
How to Interpret Your Result
The clock format, such as 8:00, is best for reading at a glance. The decimal format, such as 8.00, is best for timesheets and pay, because you can multiply it directly by your rate.
If your weekly total looks too high, check that you included unpaid breaks and that the days count matches your week. For a separate tip calculation, use our Tip Calculator, and for an age or date difference, use the Age Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate hours worked between two times?
Subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract your break. Working in minutes makes this easiest. Convert the result to decimal hours by dividing the worked minutes by 60.
How does the calculator handle overnight shifts?
If the end time is earlier than the start time, the calculator adds 24 hours to the end time. A shift from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is therefore counted as 8 hours.
What are decimal hours?
Decimal hours express time as a number instead of hours and minutes. For example, 7 hours and 30 minutes is 7.50 decimal hours, which payroll systems can multiply directly by a pay rate.
How do I convert minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60. So 15 minutes is 0.25, 30 minutes is 0.50, and 45 minutes is 0.75.
Does the calculator subtract breaks automatically?
It subtracts the break length you enter. Enter your unpaid break in minutes and the result will show only the time left after that break.
Is the pay estimate my final pay?
No. The pay estimate is gross pay before taxes and other deductions, and it does not include overtime rates. Use it as a guide, and check your payslip for the final figure.
References
For official guidance, see the U.S. Department of Labor at https://www.dol.gov/, which publishes hours-worked definitions under the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act), including rules on rest and meal periods.