Answer: Enter your values and the ⏰ Hours Calculator returns the exact result instantly — formula, worked example, and a plain-English explanation are included below the tool.
Calculate hours and minutes between times for timesheets and payroll
This hours calculator finds the duration between two times, calculate weekly work hours for payroll, and add or subtract time periods. Track employee hours, plan shifts, or calculate billable time without manually counting minutes.
To find hours between two times: convert both to 24-hour format, subtract start from end. If the result is negative, the shift crossed midnight — add 24 hours. Example: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM with a 30-minute break = 8.5 hours − 0.5 hours = 8.0 net hours.
For payroll, minutes must be converted to decimal hours: divide minutes by 60.
Payroll systems multiply decimal hours by the wage rate, so the minute-to-decimal conversion is where timesheet math turns into paycheck math. The table carries the conversion plus the dollar effect at the calculator's default $20/hour rate:
| Minutes | Decimal hours | Pay impact @ $20/hr |
|---|---|---|
| :05 | 0.08 | $1.67 |
| :10 | 0.17 | $3.33 |
| :15 | 0.25 | $5.00 |
| :20 | 0.33 | $6.67 |
| :25 | 0.42 | $8.33 |
| :30 | 0.50 | $10.00 |
| :35 | 0.58 | $11.67 |
| :40 | 0.67 | $13.33 |
| :45 | 0.75 | $15.00 |
| :50 | 0.83 | $16.67 |
| :55 | 0.92 | $18.33 |
A split shift with a lunch break: clock in at 8:42 AM, out at 6:17 PM, with a 45-minute unpaid lunch. From 8:42 to 18:17 is 9 hours 35 minutes; subtract 45 minutes for a net 8 hours 50 minutes, which is 8.83 decimal hours. At $20/hour that shift pays $176.67. The duration tab above does all three steps in one pass.
An overnight shift: 10:15 PM to 6:45 AM. The end time reads smaller than the start, which means the shift crossed midnight — add 24 hours to the difference and you get 8 hours 30 minutes, or 8.50 decimal hours. Night-shift premiums stack on top where employers pay them; the base arithmetic doesn't change.
A weekly pattern: five 9:00-to-17:30 days with 30-minute breaks gives 8.0 net hours a day, 40.0 for the week — right at the federal overtime line with zero margin. Add one Saturday of the same shift and the week reads 48 hours, 8 of them overtime. That's the number the timesheet tab totals for you.
| Hours band | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Up to 40 in a week | Straight time — federal FLSA standard for non-exempt staff |
| Hours 41+ in a week | At least 1.5× the regular rate (federal) |
| California: hours 9-12 in a day | 1.5× — daily overtime regardless of weekly total |
| California: after hour 12 in a day | 2× double time |
| European Union | 48-hour average weekly cap, overtime included |
Most states follow the federal weekly rule; California is the best-known daily-overtime state. Check the state you're paying in before you build the pay grid, and see our overtime calculation guide for the full multiplier math.
Plenty of payroll systems still round to the nearest quarter hour. The standard 7-minute rule chart rounds both directions — in the employee's favor as often as against — which is what keeps it defensible:
| Minutes past the hour | Rounds to |
|---|---|
| :00 to :07 | :00 |
| :08 to :22 | :15 |
| :23 to :37 | :30 |
| :38 to :52 | :45 |
| :53 to :59 | next hour :00 |
One-directional rounding — always down for clock-ins, always up for clock-outs — doesn't meet that standard. If you're tracking your own hours for a dispute, keep the raw punch times and the rounded ones side by side.
Convert both times to 24-hour format, subtract the start from the end, and add 24 hours if the result is negative (an overnight shift). Subtract any unpaid break to get net work hours. 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM with a 30-minute break is 8.0 net hours.
Divide the minutes by 60: 15 minutes is 0.25 hours, 45 minutes is 0.75, and 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.50 decimal hours. Multiply decimal hours by the hourly rate to get pay — 8.83 hours at $20/hour is $176.67.
Short rest breaks of 5 to 20 minutes are paid time under federal rules; bona fide meal periods of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid if the employee is fully relieved of duty. Subtract unpaid breaks in the calculator's break field so net hours match the paycheck.
For non-exempt employees, federal law requires at least 1.5× the regular rate for every hour past 40 in a workweek. Some states add daily overtime — California pays 1.5× after 8 hours and 2× after 12 in a day, on top of the weekly rule.
When the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift crossed midnight: add 24 hours to the raw difference. A 10:15 PM to 6:45 AM shift works out to 8 hours 30 minutes, or 8.50 decimal hours before premiums.