Hours Calculator: Time Between Two Times
Calculate the hours and minutes between a start and an end time, overnight shifts included, minus unpaid breaks. Shows the result as hours and minutes and as decimal hours for payroll.
An end time earlier than the start time counts as an overnight shift.
- Hours worked
- 7 h 30 min
- Decimal hours
- 7.50
- Total minutes
- 450
About the Hours Calculator
The Hours Calculator works out how long you worked between a start time and an end time, takes off any unpaid break, and gives the answer three ways: as hours and minutes, as decimal hours and as total minutes. It is built for the everyday questions that come up around a shift: how many hours did I work today, how long was that meeting, or how much time passes between 7:45 in the morning and 4:15 in the afternoon. Night shifts are handled too. When the end time is earlier than the start time, the calculator assumes the shift ran past midnight into the next day, so 22:00 to 06:00 gives 8 hours rather than an error.
Payroll systems and spreadsheets usually want decimal hours, while people think in hours and minutes. Converting between them by hand is where most timesheet mistakes happen, because 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.5 hours, not 7.3. This tool shows both side by side so you can copy whichever your employer asks for.
How to calculate hours between two times
Steps
- Pick the start time and the end time with the time pickers. They use the 24-hour clock, so 1:30 pm is 13:30.
- Type your unpaid break in whole minutes, or leave it blank if there was none.
- Read the hours worked, the decimal hours and the total minutes. The result updates as you type.
Overnight shifts
If the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift is treated as crossing midnight. For example, 21:00 to 05:30 with a 30 minute break is 8 hours. The start and end must differ, and a break longer than the shift is reported as an error rather than a negative time.
The formula
The calculator first finds the minutes between the two times, adds a full day of 1,440 minutes when the shift crosses midnight, and subtracts the break. It then converts minutes to decimal hours:
Decimal hours are rounded to two places, which is the precision most payroll forms use.
Worked examples
- A standard day: 09:00 to 17:30 with a 30 minute lunch is 8 h 0 min, or 8.00 decimal hours and 480 minutes.
- An odd finish time: 09:00 to 17:20 with no break is 8 h 20 min. Because 20 / 60 = 0.333, that is 8.33 decimal hours.
- A night shift: 22:00 to 06:00 with no break is 8 h 0 min, since the shift runs two hours before midnight and six after.
Common minute to decimal conversions
- 15 minutes is 0.25 hours.
- 30 minutes is 0.50 hours.
- 45 minutes is 0.75 hours.
- 20 minutes is 0.33 hours and 40 minutes is 0.67 hours.
Privacy
Nothing is uploaded; every calculation runs in your browser and never leaves your device. Your times are not stored once you close the page.
Related tools
Need a whole week? Switch to the Time Card Calculator to total Monday to Sunday with overtime and pay. Turn an hourly wage into a yearly figure with the Hourly to Salary Calculator, or work out earnings with the Gross Pay Calculator. For spans of days rather than hours, use the Date Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the hours between two times?
Subtract the start time from the end time and take off any unpaid break. For example, 09:00 to 17:30 is 8 hours 30 minutes, and with a 30 minute lunch it is 8 hours. The calculator does this for you and shows hours and minutes, decimal hours and total minutes.
Does it work for night shifts that cross midnight?
Yes. When the end time is earlier than the start time, the calculator assumes the shift ended the next day and adds 24 hours. A shift from 22:00 to 06:00 gives 8 hours.
How do I convert minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60 and add them to the whole hours. 15 minutes is 0.25, 30 minutes is 0.50 and 45 minutes is 0.75, so 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75 decimal hours. Results are rounded to two decimal places.
Why does the calculator use the 24-hour clock?
The time pickers return 24-hour values, which avoids mixing up AM and PM. Many browsers still let you type 12-hour times with AM or PM and convert them for you, so 1:30 pm becomes 13:30.
What happens if my break is longer than the shift?
The calculator shows an error instead of a negative time. Check that the start and end times are right and that the break is entered in minutes, not hours.
Can I add up a whole week?
Yes. Switch to the weekly time card to enter start, end and break times for Monday to Sunday. It totals the week, flags overtime above 40 hours and works out pay if you enter an hourly rate.