Hours Calculator

Calculation Method

Calculate hours and minutes between two times

Enter your start time and end time to calculate total work hours, deduct breaks, and get decimal hours for payroll.

Hour
:
Min
Hour
:
Min
Tip: Click any common shift and see the results below live
Common Shifts:
Total Hours Calculated
7 hrs 30 mins 7.50 decimal hours

From 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM with a 30-minute break deducted.

9:00 AM 7.5h Work30m Break 5:00 PM
Net Hours Worked 7h 30m After break deduction
Decimal Hours 7.50 hrs For timesheets & payroll
Gross Span 8 hrs 0 mins Total elapsed duration
Break Deducted 30 mins Unpaid break time
Total Minutes 450 mins Total billable minutes
Total Seconds 27,000 s Exact seconds count

About the Free Hours Calculator

This free hours calculator is a fast, comprehensive online hours calculator designed to help employees, freelancers, contractors, managers, and HR specialists calculate hours with pinpoint accuracy. Whether you need to calculate hours between two times, calculate total hours and minutes for a single shift, track weekly work hours across a full workweek, or convert time into decimal hours for payroll hours and timesheets, this tool provides instant results without requiring software installation or signups.

How to Calculate Hours Between Two Times

To calculate hours between two times, determine the elapsed time from your start time to your end time and subtract any unpaid break time. For example:

  • Step 1 (Convert to 24-hour clock): 9:00 AM is 09:00; 5:30 PM is 17:30.
  • Step 2 (Subtract start from end): 17:30 − 09:00 = 8 hours 30 minutes gross elapsed time.
  • Step 3 (Deduct unpaid breaks): Subtract a 30-minute lunch break: 8h 30m − 30m = 8 hours 0 minutes of net time worked (8.00 decimal hours).

Work Hours Calculator with Lunch Breaks

Using a dedicated work hours calculator or hours worked calculator makes calculating daily working hours effortless. Most employment agreements require subtracting meal intervals from total hours worked. This tool lets you quickly deduct lunch minutes or input exact start and end break timestamps, automatically computing net hours worked with breaks deducted.

Calculating Overnight Work Hours Across Midnight

Calculating overnight shifts (such as 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM) can be confusing because the end time is numerically lower than the start time. This time duration calculator automatically detects when a shift crosses midnight by adding 24 hours (1,440 minutes) to the ending time: (06:00 + 24:00) − 22:00 = 30:00 − 22:00 = 8 hours. You can seamlessly calculate night shifts, third shifts, and overnight emergency duty without manual adjustments.

Converting Hours and Minutes to Decimal Hours for Payroll

Payroll systems require work time recorded in decimal hours rather than minutes. Divide the minute portion by 60: Decimal Hours = Hours + (Minutes ÷ 60). For example, 7 hours and 45 minutes equals 7.75 decimal hours (45 ÷ 60 = 0.75). Multiplying 7.75 hours by a $25.00 hourly wage yields an accurate gross pay of $193.75.

Time Clock Rounding Rules (The 7-Minute Rule)

Under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines, employers may round employee punch times to the nearest quarter hour (15 minutes), 1/10th hour (6 minutes), or 5 minutes. With 15-minute rounding (the 7-minute rule), clock times from 1 to 7 minutes past the quarter-hour round down, while times from 8 to 14 minutes round up.

Common Work Shifts Reference Table

Work Shift (Start – End) Gross Time Standard Lunch Net Hours Worked Decimal Hours
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM 8 hrs 0 mins 30 min unpaid 7 hrs 30 mins 7.50 hrs
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 9 hrs 0 mins 60 min unpaid 8 hrs 0 mins 8.00 hrs
8:00 AM – 4:30 PM 8 hrs 30 mins 30 min unpaid 8 hrs 0 mins 8.00 hrs
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM 10 hrs 0 mins 60 min unpaid 9 hrs 0 mins 9.00 hrs
7:00 AM – 3:30 PM 8 hrs 30 mins 30 min unpaid 8 hrs 0 mins 8.00 hrs
10:00 PM – 6:00 AM (Overnight) 8 hrs 0 mins 30 min unpaid 7 hrs 30 mins 7.50 hrs

Privacy and Local Processing

All calculations on this page run completely locally inside your web browser. None of your entered clock times, wage numbers, hours worked, or timesheets are uploaded or stored on Toolslight servers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an hours calculator and how does it work?

An hours calculator (or work hours calculator) is a tool that computes the time duration between a starting and ending time. It works by taking your start time and end time, standardizing them, deducting breaks, and returning the exact hours, minutes, and decimal hours elapsed.

How do I calculate hours between two times?

To calculate hours between two times (for example, 8 AM to 5 PM is 9 hours gross, or 9 AM to 5 PM is 8 hours), simply enter your starting and ending times into our calculator. Select your unpaid break duration, and it will instantly calculate your net work hours.

How do I calculate hours worked with a break?

To calculate working hours accurately, input your start and end times, then enter your break time in minutes (or exact break start/end times). The tool will automatically subtract the break time (like a lunch break) from your total elapsed shift hours.

How do I calculate overnight work hours across midnight?

Yes, this hours calculator automatically calculates hours across midnight. When you enter a start time that is later than your end time (e.g., 10 PM start and 6 AM end), the calculator detects this as an overnight shift and adds 24 hours to provide your exact hours worked.

How do I calculate decimal hours for timesheets and payroll?

To calculate decimal hours, divide the minutes worked by 60 and add them to the hours. For example, 7 hours and 45 minutes equals 7.75 decimal hours. The calculator converts all shifts into decimal hours automatically for payroll entry.

How do I calculate weekly work hours and overtime?

Switch to the "Weekly Timesheet" tab above and enter your shift times for Monday through Sunday. The tool sums your total weekly hours, calculates regular hours vs overtime over 40 hours per week, and estimates gross pay.

How many hours is 9 AM to 5 PM with a lunch break?

From 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM is exactly 8 hours elapsed (480 minutes). With a standard 30-minute unpaid lunch break, the net working time is 7 hours and 30 minutes (7.50 decimal hours).