How to use the hours calculator
- Pick a mode. Use “Between two times” for a single shift or “Weekly time card” to total a full week.
- Enter start and end times. If a shift ends after midnight, just enter the end time; an end earlier than the start is counted as the next day.
- Enter unpaid breaks in minutes, such as a 30-minute lunch. Leave paid rest breaks out, since they count as work time.
- Add your hourly rate (optional) to see gross pay. In the time card, keep the overtime box checked to pay time and a half after 40 hours.
How to calculate hours worked
Hours worked is the time between clocking in and clocking out, minus any unpaid break. The easiest way to do it by hand is to convert both times to minutes after midnight, subtract, and then convert back.
H = ((E − S) − B) / 60, adding 1,440 minutes to E when the shift ends after midnight
- H
- hours worked, in decimal hours
- E
- end time in minutes after midnight (add 1,440 if it is the next day)
- S
- start time in minutes after midnight
- B
- unpaid break in minutes
Worked example
A shift from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM starts at S = 540 minutes after midnight and ends at E = 1,050. The time on the clock is 1,050 − 540 = 510 minutes. Subtracting a 30-minute unpaid lunch leaves 480 minutes, and 480 ÷ 60 = 8.00 hours (8 hr 0 min).
For a whole week, add up each day. Five days from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with a 30-minute lunch are 8.50 hours a day, or 42.50 hours for the week. At $25.00 an hour, the first 40.00 hours pay $1,000.00 and the 2.50 overtime hours pay 2.50 × $37.50 = $93.75, for gross pay of $1,093.75.
Converting minutes to decimal hours
Payroll uses decimal hours because they can be multiplied by a pay rate. To convert, divide the minutes by 60. A common mistake is to read 8:30 as 8.30 hours; it is actually 8.5 hours. Likewise, a shift from 8:47 AM to 5:13 PM with a 30-minute break is 7 hr 56 min, which is 7.93 hours, not 7.56.
| Minutes | Exact decimal hours | Rounded (2 places) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 min | 0.0167 | 0.02 |
| 5 min | 0.0833 | 0.08 |
| 6 min | 0.1 | 0.10 |
| 10 min | 0.1667 | 0.17 |
| 12 min | 0.2 | 0.20 |
| 15 min | 0.25 | 0.25 |
| 18 min | 0.3 | 0.30 |
| 20 min | 0.3333 | 0.33 |
| 25 min | 0.4167 | 0.42 |
| 30 min | 0.5 | 0.50 |
| 35 min | 0.5833 | 0.58 |
| 40 min | 0.6667 | 0.67 |
| 45 min | 0.75 | 0.75 |
| 50 min | 0.8333 | 0.83 |
| 55 min | 0.9167 | 0.92 |
| 60 min | 1 | 1.00 |
Calculating overnight shifts
When a shift crosses midnight, the end time is “smaller” than the start time, so simple subtraction gives a negative number. Add 24 hours (1,440 minutes) to the end time first. A shift from 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM runs 510 minutes on the clock; minus a 30-minute meal break, that is 8 hr 0 min, or 8.00 hours. In the time card, an overnight shift is counted on the day it starts. This calculator handles any shift shorter than 24 hours.
Do breaks count as hours worked?
Federal law does not require employers to provide lunch or coffee breaks. When an employer does offer short breaks, usually about 5 to 20 minutes, the U.S. Department of Labor treats them as paid work time. Meal periods, typically 30 minutes or longer, are not work time under federal law, so they are usually unpaid, provided you are completely relieved from duty. A “lunch” spent answering phones at your desk is working time.
That is why this calculator only asks for unpaid breaks. Many states set their own rest-break and meal-period requirements, so check your state labor department’s rules too.
Overtime under the FLSA
The Fair Labor Standards Act requires overtime pay of at least one and a half times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, unless the employee is exempt. A workweek is any fixed, regularly recurring period of 168 hours (seven consecutive 24-hour periods) and does not have to run Monday to Sunday. Each workweek stands alone: you cannot average 30 hours one week with 50 the next to avoid overtime.
Federal law has no daily overtime rule, and working a weekend or holiday does not by itself trigger overtime. Some states go further. California, for example, requires time and a half after 8 hours in a workday and double time after 12. This calculator applies only the federal weekly rule. To see how overtime pay may be treated at tax time, try our no tax on overtime calculator.
Rounding time-clock punches
Employers are not required to use time clocks, but many do, and many round punches. Federal regulations at 29 CFR 785.48 allow recording start and stop times to the nearest 5 minutes, tenth of an hour (6 minutes) or quarter hour (15 minutes), as long as the practice does not, over time, result in employees being paid for less time than they actually worked. A policy that only ever rounds in the employer’s favor would shortchange workers over time and is unlikely to meet that standard. The same section also says early arrivals or late stays do not have to be paid when the employee does no work during that time.
From hours to pay
Multiplying decimal hours by your rate gives gross pay, before taxes and deductions. To estimate take-home pay, enter your gross wages in the paycheck calculator. To turn an hourly rate into an annual salary (or the reverse), use the salary calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hours worked between two times?
Subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract any unpaid break. Working in minutes makes it easy: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM is 510 minutes on the clock; minus a 30-minute lunch leaves 480 minutes, which is 8 hr 0 min. Divide the minutes by 60 to get decimal hours for payroll: 8.00 hours.
How do you convert minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60. For example, 15 minutes is 15 ÷ 60 = 0.25 hours, 30 minutes is 0.5 hours and 45 minutes is 0.75 hours. So 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75 hours. Payroll systems multiply decimal hours by the hourly rate, which is why a time card shows 7.75 rather than 7:45.
How do I calculate hours for an overnight shift?
Add 24 hours to the end time when it is earlier than the start time, then subtract as usual. A shift from 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM spans 8 hr 30 min; after a 30-minute meal break, that is 8 hr 0 min (8.00 hours). This calculator does this automatically whenever the end time is earlier than the start time.
Are breaks paid under federal law?
Federal law does not require employers to give breaks, but if they do, short rest breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes count as paid work time, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Bona fide meal periods, typically 30 minutes or more when you are fully relieved of duty, generally do not have to be paid. Many states have their own break and meal-period laws.
When do I get overtime pay?
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, nonexempt employees must be paid at least one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. At $25.00 an hour, overtime is at least $37.50 an hour. Federal law has no daily overtime rule, but some states, such as California, require overtime after 8 hours in a workday.
Can my employer round my time clock punches?
Yes, within limits. Federal regulations (29 CFR 785.48) allow employers to record start and stop times to the nearest 5 minutes, tenth of an hour or quarter hour, as long as the rounding does not, over time, result in employees being underpaid for time actually worked. Rounding that consistently shortchanges employees over time is not permitted.
Does the calculator estimate take-home pay?
No. The pay shown is gross pay: hours multiplied by your hourly rate, with overtime at time and a half if you choose. Federal and state income tax, Social Security, Medicare and other deductions come out of that amount. Use our paycheck calculator to estimate your net pay from gross wages.