Hours Calculator
Work out the hours and minutes between two clock times, with a break taken off. Handles shifts that run past midnight and shows the answer as hours:minutes, decimal hours and total minutes.
Last updated: October 2026
Hours worked
8 hours
Formula below · 2 sources (ecfr.gov, dol.gov) · Updated Oct 2026
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About this calculator
Both clock times are converted to minutes since midnight, the start is subtracted from the end, and the unpaid break is taken off. When the end time is earlier on the clock than the start time the shift crosses midnight, so 24 hours (1,440 minutes) are added first: 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is 6 × 60 − 22 × 60 + 1,440 = 480 minutes, or 8 hours.
The answer is given three ways. Hours:minutes (8:00) is how a time card reads. Decimal hours (8.25 for 8 h 15 min) are what payroll multiplies by an hourly rate: minutes ÷ 60. Total minutes is handy for billing in 6- or 15-minute increments. Times can be entered in 12-hour form (9:00 AM, 5:30pm), 24-hour form (17:30, 1730) or as a bare hour (9).
For a whole week of shifts with overtime and pay, use the time card calculator at /en/calculators/payroll/time-card-calculator/. For a span that is longer than a day, with dates as well as times, use the date and time duration calculator at /en/calculators/time-zones/date-time-duration-calculator/.
How to use
Type the start and end times and, if part of the span is an unpaid break, its length in minutes. Example (the defaults): 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM with a 30-minute lunch. 5:30 PM is 17:30, or 1,050 minutes after midnight; 9:00 AM is 540. The difference is 510 minutes = 8 hours 30 minutes; minus the 30-minute break, 480 minutes = 8:00, or 8.00 hours. Example: a night shift from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM with no break. 6:00 AM is 360 minutes, 10:00 PM is 1,320; 360 − 1,320 = −960, plus 1,440 = 480 minutes = 8 hours. Example: 8:15 AM to 4:50 PM, no break. 16:50 is 1,010 minutes, 8:15 is 495; the difference is 515 minutes = 8 hours 35 minutes = 8.58 hours.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hours between two times by hand?
Write both times in 24-hour form, convert each to minutes (hours × 60 + minutes), subtract the start from the end, and divide by 60. 8:15 AM to 4:50 PM: 1,010 − 495 = 515 minutes = 8 h 35 min. If the end is earlier than the start (an overnight shift), add 1,440 minutes before dividing.
How do I turn 8 hours 35 minutes into decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60 and add the hours: 35 ÷ 60 = 0.583, so 8 h 35 min = 8.58 hours. Going the other way, multiply the fraction by 60: 0.58 × 60 ≈ 35 minutes. Payroll often rounds to the nearest quarter hour (0.25) or tenth of an hour (0.1).
What if my shift runs past midnight?
Enter the times as they read on the clock; when the end time is earlier than the start time the calculator assumes the end is on the next day and adds 24 hours. A span of more than 24 hours needs dates too, so use the date and time duration calculator for that.
Can I enter 24-hour (military) time?
Yes: 17:30, 17.30 and 1730 are all read as 5:30 PM, and 0 or 00:00 is midnight. 24:00 is accepted as the end of the day, so 16:00 to 24:00 is 8 hours.
Is the break paid or unpaid?
The break you enter is subtracted, so it should be the unpaid part only. Under US federal rules short rest breaks of 5 to 20 minutes are paid time, while a meal period of 30 minutes or more with no duties is not (29 CFR 785.18 and 785.19).
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