Hours Calculator
Count the hours and minutes between two times, minus breaks.
About Hours Calculator
The calculator computes the raw clock span (end minus start in minutes), then deducts unpaid break time. If the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift is treated as crossing midnight, and 24 hours is added to the raw difference. This correctly handles night shifts like 22:00 → 06:00 without needing calendar dates. Gross pay multiplies decimal hours by the optional hourly rate.
Formulas
Raw span
Raw span = end − start + 1440 min (if overnight)
- t_{end}
- End time (minutes from midnight)
- t_{start}
- Start time (minutes from midnight)
Net hours worked
Net time = Raw span − (number of breaks × break duration)
- n_b
- Number of breaks
- t_b
- Duration of each break (minutes)
Worked example
With the default values below, Hours Calculator returns Hours Worked of 8h 00m. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Start Time
- 09:00
- End Time
- 17:30
- Break Durationaccepts 0–600 min
- 30 min
- Number of Breaksaccepts 0–10
- 1
- Hourly Rate (optional)accepts 0–10,000 $
- 0 $
Results
- Hours WorkedNet hours after deducting breaks.
- 8h 00m
- Decimal Hours
- 8.0000
- Total Minutes Worked
- 480
- Break Time
- 30 min
- Overnight Shift
- No
Step by step
- 1Raw span (end − start)= 8h 30m
- 2Total break= 30 min
- 3Net hours worked= 8h 00m
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 5 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the calculator handle overnight shifts?
When end time is earlier than start time (e.g. start 22:00, end 06:00), the calculator automatically adds 24 hours to the raw difference. The result is 8h — no manual adjustment needed.
Can I have multiple breaks of different lengths?
The simplest approach is to sum your breaks and enter them as a single duration. The 'Number of Breaks' field is for repeated breaks of identical length — a common workplace pattern.
What does 'Decimal Hours' mean?
Decimal hours is the decimal representation of the duration. For example, 7h 30m = 7.5 decimal hours. This is useful for payroll calculations and timesheet software.
Is the gross pay before or after tax?
It is gross pay — the raw product of hours worked and hourly rate, before any tax, insurance or other deductions.