Hours Calculator
Find the total hours between a start and end clock time after subtracting your break.
Example
Start 9:00, end 17:30 is an 8:30 span (510 minutes). Subtract a 30-minute break and you get 480 minutes = 8.00 hours (8:00).
How it works
Convert both times to minutes from midnight, subtract start from end (adding 24h if the end is earlier, for overnight shifts), then subtract break minutes. Net minutes are shown as decimal hours (minutes/60) and HH:MM.
Good to know
The Hours Calculator turns a clock-in and clock-out time into a clean total of hours worked, with break time deducted. You enter a start time, an end time, and the number of break minutes, and it instantly returns the result as both decimal hours (for example 8.00) and HH:MM (8:00), along with the total minutes and the raw span before your break was subtracted. It is built for hourly workers, freelancers logging billable time, shift supervisors, and anyone reconciling a paper timesheet against what they were actually paid.
Reach for it whenever a shift does not divide neatly into whole hours, when a lunch or rest break needs to come off the clock, or when a shift crosses midnight. The two output formats serve different purposes: use the decimal figure when entering time into payroll or an invoicing app, since most systems multiply a decimal by your rate, and use the HH:MM figure when you simply want a human-readable duration. The "Span (before break)" line is a useful cross-check, showing the gross time between your two clock entries so you can confirm the break deduction is the only difference.
A few practical points worth knowing as you read the result:
- An end time earlier than the start is treated as the next day, so 22:00 to 06:00 correctly shows 8 hours rather than a negative number.
- If your break is longer than the shift itself, the tool floors the result at zero rather than showing a negative total.
- The break field only subtracts what you type, so for a shift with two paid 15-minute breaks you exclude, enter the combined minutes.
One caveat: this is a single-shift calculator, not a weekly timesheet, so it does not add up multiple days, apply overtime multipliers, or round to the nearest quarter hour the way some employers do. If your workplace rounds punches, calculate with your exact times here and then apply that rounding yourself, and keep your own time records since nothing you enter is saved once you close the page.
Frequently asked questions
How does it handle overnight shifts?
If the end time is earlier than the start time (for example 22:00 to 06:00), the calculator assumes the end is on the next day and adds 24 hours, so the span comes out correctly as 8 hours.
Why are decimal hours different from HH:MM?
Decimal hours express minutes as a fraction of 60 (30 minutes = 0.50), which is what most payroll systems use. HH:MM shows the same duration as hours and minutes (0:30). They represent the same amount of time in two formats.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No — this calculator runs entirely in your browser. Your inputs never leave your device, and it works offline once loaded.
Is this calculator free?
Yes, completely free with no sign-up and no limits.
People also ask
How do I convert minutes worked into decimal hours for payroll?
Divide the worked minutes by 60. For example, 480 minutes is 480 / 60 = 8.00 hours, and 15 minutes is 15 / 60 = 0.25 hours. The calculator does this automatically and shows the decimal value next to the HH:MM total.
Should lunch breaks be subtracted from hours worked?
Unpaid breaks, such as a typical lunch period, are normally subtracted so you are only counting time actually worked. Paid breaks are usually left in. Check your employer's policy or local labor rules, since practices vary by jurisdiction and contract.
How many hours is 9 to 5 with a 30-minute lunch?
From 9:00 to 17:00 is an 8-hour span. Subtracting a 30-minute unpaid lunch leaves 7.5 hours, shown as 7.50 decimal or 7:30 in HH:MM.
What is 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 of an hour in minutes?
0.25 hours is 15 minutes, 0.5 hours is 30 minutes, and 0.75 hours is 45 minutes. These are the most common decimal-hour values on a timesheet because each quarter hour is a tidy fraction of 60 minutes.
How do you calculate hours for a shift that goes past midnight?
Treat the end time as falling on the next day, then add 24 hours to the span before subtracting the start. For example, 23:00 to 02:00 is 3 hours. This calculator handles that automatically when the end time is earlier than the start.
Does this calculator add up hours for a whole week?
No, it calculates one shift at a time. To get a weekly total, run each day separately and add the decimal-hour results together yourself.
Is decimal hours the same as the time shown on a clock?
No. A clock shows hours and minutes, where 8:30 means 8 hours and 30 minutes. Decimal hours express the minutes as a fraction of an hour, so the same duration is 8.50. They describe the identical length of time in two different notations.
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