Hours Worked Calculator
Calculate your total work hours and day's pay by entering start and end times.
How to calculate hours worked
Work out worked time in three steps:
- Convert the start and end times to a 24-hour clock.
- Subtract the start time from the end time to get the total span.
- Subtract any unpaid break to get paid hours.
Example: a shift from 09:00 to 17:00 is 8 hours. Take off a 30-minute unpaid lunch and you have 7.5 paid hours. If the end time is before the start time, the shift ran past midnight — add 24 hours before subtracting.
Decimal hours explained
Payroll doesn't multiply pay by "7 hours 30 minutes" — it uses decimal hours. Divide the minutes by 60 to convert: 30 minutes becomes 0.5, so 7h 30m is 7.5 hours. At $20/hour that's a clean 7.5 × $20 = $150, with no minutes-to-money mistakes.
The quarter-hour marks are the ones worth memorising:
- 15 min = 0.25
- 30 min = 0.50
- 45 min = 0.75
- 60 min = 1.00
Minutes to decimal hours
Every 5 minutes as decimal hours — tap any row for the full conversion, formula, and a quick converter.
| Minutes | Decimal hours | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 min | 0.08 hrs | Convert → |
| 10 min | 0.17 hrs | Convert → |
| 15 min | 0.25 hrs | Convert → |
| 20 min | 0.33 hrs | Convert → |
| 25 min | 0.42 hrs | Convert → |
| 30 min | 0.50 hrs | Convert → |
| 35 min | 0.58 hrs | Convert → |
| 40 min | 0.67 hrs | Convert → |
| 45 min | 0.75 hrs | Convert → |
| 50 min | 0.83 hrs | Convert → |
| 55 min | 0.92 hrs | Convert → |
| 60 min | 1.00 hrs | Convert → |
| 65 min | 1.08 hrs | Convert → |
| 70 min | 1.17 hrs | Convert → |
| 75 min | 1.25 hrs | Convert → |
| 80 min | 1.33 hrs | Convert → |
| 85 min | 1.42 hrs | Convert → |
| 90 min | 1.50 hrs | Convert → |
| 95 min | 1.58 hrs | Convert → |
| 100 min | 1.67 hrs | Convert → |
| 105 min | 1.75 hrs | Convert → |
| 110 min | 1.83 hrs | Convert → |
| 115 min | 1.92 hrs | Convert → |
| 120 min | 2.00 hrs | Convert → |
A typical full-time week
Five 8-hour days with a 30-minute unpaid lunch each — the standard 37.5 paid hours behind a "40-hour week".
| Day | Hours | Break | Paid hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 09:00 – 17:00 | 30 min | 7.5 |
| Tuesday | 09:00 – 17:00 | 30 min | 7.5 |
| Wednesday | 09:00 – 17:00 | 30 min | 7.5 |
| Thursday | 09:00 – 17:00 | 30 min | 7.5 |
| Friday | 09:00 – 17:00 | 30 min | 7.5 |
| Weekly total | 37.5 hrs | ||
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hours worked?
Subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract any unpaid break. For a 9:00 to 17:00 shift with a 30-minute break: 8 hours minus 0.5 hours = 7.5 hours worked.
How do you convert minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60. So 15 minutes = 0.25, 30 minutes = 0.5, and 45 minutes = 0.75 hours. Payroll multiplies these decimals by the hourly rate to work out pay.
Why does payroll use decimal hours?
Multiplying a wage by 7.5 is simpler and less error-prone than by 7 hours 30 minutes. Decimal hours (0.25, 0.5, 0.75) map cleanly onto quarter-hours, so timesheets and payroll systems record time this way.
How do I calculate hours worked across midnight?
When the end time is earlier than the start time the shift crosses midnight, so add 24 hours to the end time before subtracting. This calculator handles overnight shifts automatically.
How many work hours are in a week?
A standard full-time week in the US is 40 hours — five 8-hour days. Hours over 40 in a week are usually paid as overtime at 1.5× the regular rate.