Hours Calculator

Hours worked formula

Time clock math starts by converting the start and end times into minutes after midnight. The formula is hours worked = (end minutes − start minutes − break minutes) ÷ 60. If the end time is earlier than the start time, the calculator assumes an overnight shift and adds 24 hours to the end time before subtracting. That means 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is treated as eight hours before breaks rather than a negative value.

The widget shows the same result in two formats. Decimal hours are useful for payroll and invoices because 7 hours 30 minutes becomes 7.5 hours. The hours-and-minutes display is easier to read when checking a shift by sight. If you enter an hourly rate, estimated pay is decimal hours × hourly rate. Leave the rate blank or zero if you only need the time calculation.

Breaks, rounding and overnight shifts

Break minutes are subtracted as unpaid time. Enter the total unpaid break for the shift, such as 30 for lunch or 45 for lunch plus another unpaid pause. The calculator does not round to a quarter hour or tenth of an hour because rounding rules differ by employer, contract and local law. If your workplace rounds punches, calculate the rounded start and end times first, then enter those adjusted times here.

Using the pay estimate

Estimated pay is a simple gross calculation before taxes, overtime, premiums, deductions or benefits. It is helpful for checking a single shift, estimating freelance hours, or verifying that a timesheet entry is close. It is not a payroll system and does not upload or store work times. For official pay, follow your employer's timekeeping policy and applicable labor rules.

Worked example and decimal conversion

A shift from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM is 8 hours 30 minutes. With a 30-minute unpaid break that leaves 8 hours, or 8.0 decimal hours. At an hourly rate of 22.50 the estimated gross pay is 8 × 22.50 = 180.00.

Decimal hours trip people up on timesheets: 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75, not 7.45, because the minutes are divided by 60. Quick conversions are 15 min = 0.25, 30 min = 0.5, 45 min = 0.75 and 20 min ≈ 0.33. Identical start and end times are treated as a full 24-hour span, and the result never drops below zero even if the break is longer than the shift. Calculate each day separately, then add the daily totals for a weekly figure.