Hours Calculator
Tracking work hours? Enter start, end, and break and you will get total hours and decimal hours. It handles overnight shifts and gives decimal hours for payroll without extra math.
TL;DR
- Pick a start time and an end time
- Net Working Hours Equation: Net Hours = (End Time - Start Time) - Unpaid Break | Decimal = Hours + Minutes/6
- Standard Shift Calculation
How it works
Pick a start time and an end time. The calculator turns both into minutes since midnight, subtracts start from end, borrows 24 hours if end is earlier than start for overnight shifts, then subtracts any unpaid break. The result appears as hours and minutes and as decimal hours you can copy into payroll. It also handles adding or subtracting time blocks, so 03:45 plus 02:30 becomes 06:15 without losing the carry.
The math
Convert both times to minutes since midnight, subtract, borrow a day for overnight, remove break, then divide by 60 for decimals. For adding blocks, sum minutes first, then split back into hours.
Turn clock times into minutes, subtract start from end and borrow 24 hours for overnight, remove break minutes, then divide remaining minutes by 60 for decimal hours and keep the remainder as minutes. Summing blocks first keeps carry-over clean.
Examples
Standard Shift Calculation
- Start Time: 08:30, End Time: 17:00, Break: 30 minutes
- Total elapsed from 08:30 to 17:00 = 8 hours 30 minutes (510 minutes)
- Subtract 30-minute break = 480 minutes
- Result: 8 hours 0 minutes (8.0 Decimal Hours)
Example 2: Overnight shift with break
- Start 22:00, End 06:00, Break 45 minutes
- Overnight elapsed: 8 hours = 480 minutes
- Minus 45 = 435 minutes
- Result: 7 hours 15 minutes (7.25 decimal hours)
Example 3: Adding project blocks
- Blocks: 02:15 + 01:50 + 00:40 = 4 hours 45 minutes
- Decimal: 4.75 hours
- Minus 00:30 meeting = 4.25 hours billable
When to use it
✦ Timesheet & Payroll Calculation
Compute exact weekly working hours and overtime for employees. For travel time based on distance, the flight duration calculator estimates block time between airports.
✦ Project Time Tracking
Sum billable hours across multiple tasks and client deliverables.
✦ Shift Scheduling
Plan roster timings and rest intervals efficiently.
⚠ Common mistakes
- Forgetting to subtract unpaid meal breaks from total elapsed time.
FAQ (6)
How do I convert minutes into decimals?
Divide the number of minutes by 60. For example, 15 minutes is 15/60 = 0.25 hours.
Can this calculator handle overnight shifts?
Yes, if the end time is earlier than the start time, the calculator automatically accounts for the cross-midnight transition.
Is my data kept private when I use these everyday tools?
Yes. Whether it's a word count or a time-between-dates check, nothing is sent to a server. The page does the counting locally — you can paste a draft, get 1,242 words and 6 min reading time, and close it without a trace.
Do I need internet after the first load?
Not really. Once cached, word-counter, hours, fuel-cost and the rest work offline. Handy if you're drafting on a train or counting hours on site without signal — load once, use anywhere.
How reliable are the results for work?
They follow documented rules — reading time at 200-250 wpm, hours as decimal, etc. — and are tested automatically. For casual use they're spot-on; for payroll with overtime rules or legal word-count filings, do a final check against your HR or editorial guide.
What's the fastest way to share a result?
'Share Link' does it. It encodes your inputs in the address bar, so the other person sees the exact same hours (e.g. 09:15 to 17:45 = 8h 30m) without you retyping.