Hours calculator

Track a week of shifts and get the total hours.

DayStartEndBreak (min)Hours
Monday7h 30m
Tuesday7h 30m
Wednesday7h 30m
Thursday7h 30m
Friday5h 30m
Saturday0h 0m
Sunday0h 0m
35h 30mWeek total
35.50Decimal hours

Leave a day blank for a day off. An end time earlier than the start time is treated as an overnight shift.

How to calculate hours worked

  1. Enter the start and end time for each day.
  2. Enter any unpaid break in minutes.
  3. Read the daily and weekly totals, including decimal hours.

Decimal hours for payroll

Payroll multiplies hours by an hourly rate, and that only works with decimal hours. To convert, divide the minutes by 60 and add them to the whole hours. 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75 hours, so at $18 an hour it pays $139.50.

The most common timesheet error is writing minutes after the decimal point. 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.5, not 7.30. Typing 7.30 underpays the half hour, since 0.30 of an hour is only 18 minutes.

MinutesDecimal hours
10 min0.17
15 min0.25
20 min0.33
30 min0.5
40 min0.67
45 min0.75
50 min0.83

Common shifts, worked out

ShiftUnpaid breakPaid timeDecimal hours
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM30 min7h 30m7.5
7:00 AM to 1:00 PMNone6h 0m6
2:00 PM to 10:30 PM45 min7h 45m7.75
10:00 PM to 6:00 AM30 min7h 30m7.5
11:00 PM to 7:30 AM30 min8h 0m8

The week already filled in above, Monday to Thursday 9 to 5 and Friday 9 to 3, each with a 30 minute break, comes to 35h 30m, or 35.5 decimal hours.

How breaks and overnight shifts are counted

Each row subtracts the start time from the end time. If the end is earlier than the start, the shift is treated as crossing midnight and 24 hours are added first. Then the break minutes are taken off, so a 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM shift with a 30 minute break is 7.5 hours, the same as a day shift of that length.

Only enter breaks that are unpaid. Under US federal rules, short rest breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes are generally paid working time, while a meal break of 30 minutes or more with no work duties usually is not. State rules and employer policies can add to this, so check yours.

Timesheet mistakes to catch

  • Forgetting to log an unpaid lunch, which overstates the paid hours for that day.
  • Entering a paid rest break as unpaid, which understates them.
  • Splitting an overnight shift across two rows by hand. Enter it on the day it starts, with the real end time, and the hours past midnight are counted for you.

Hours calculator FAQ

How does an overnight shift work?

If the end time is earlier than the start time, the tool assumes the shift crosses midnight and adds 24 hours before subtracting the break, so a 10 PM to 6 AM shift correctly comes out to 7.5 hours with a 30 minute break.

What are decimal hours?

Decimal hours write partial hours as a fraction of an hour, so 7 hours 30 minutes becomes 7.5. Most payroll systems use decimal hours for pay calculations.

Do breaks get paid?

This tool subtracts the break minutes you enter from the shift length, matching how unpaid breaks are usually handled. Leave the break at 0 if your break is paid.

What is a 9 to 5 with a 30 minute break?

9:00 AM to 5:00 PM is 8 hours, minus a 30 minute break, for 7.5 paid hours.

Why does my timesheet show .5 instead of .30 for a half hour?

Decimal hours divide minutes by 60, not 100. 30 minutes is half an hour, which is 0.5. A value of 0.30 would mean 18 minutes.

How many hours is 8:30 AM to 5:15 PM with a 1 hour lunch?

8 hours 45 minutes minus 60 minutes, which is 7 hours 45 minutes, or 7.75 decimal hours.

How do I turn decimal hours back into minutes?

Multiply the part after the decimal point by 60. 7.8 hours is 7 hours plus 0.8 x 60 = 48 minutes.

What is a full week with one overnight shift?

For example: Monday 9 to 5 with a 30 minute break (7.5h), an overnight Tuesday 10 PM to 6 AM with a 30 minute break (7.5h), Wednesday off, Thursday 9 to 5:30 with a 30 minute break (8h), and Friday 9 to 1 with no break (4h). That totals 27 hours for the week.

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