How to calculate hours and minutes worked
To find the hours and minutes worked in a shift, subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract any unpaid break. Times on the hour are easy; times like 8:47 to 4:13 are where people slip. The method below handles them in four steps, and the calculator above does the same for a whole week.
How to calculate hours and minutes worked
Pay rules
Defaults follow the federal weekly rule (over 40 hours at 1.5×). Your state or contract may differ: set your own.
| Day | Start | End | Break | Hours | Actions |
|---|
Times are in .
| Regular | ||
| Overtime | ||
| Double time | ||
| Estimated gross pay |
Estimate of gross pay before tax and deductions.
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Use the 24-hour clock while you work it out. 4:13 pm becomes 16:13, which removes any confusion about which part of the day each time is in and makes the subtraction straightforward.
If the minutes of the end time are smaller than the minutes of the start time, borrow an hour: take 1 off the hours and add 60 to the minutes. That one step is behind most wrong totals on hand-filled time cards.
Worked example: Odd minutes 08:47 to 16:13
$20.00/h · overtime over 40 h a week at 1.5×
| Day | Start | End | Breaks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 2 | 08:47 | 16:13 | none |
7.43 hours (7:26): regular 7.43, overtime 0.00. Estimated gross $148.67: regular $148.67 + overtime $0.00.
Worked example: Odd-minute shift and break
$20.00/h · overtime over 40 h a week at 1.5×
| Day | Start | End | Breaks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 2 | 07:12 | 15:49 | 11:58–12:31 unpaid |
8.07 hours (8:04): regular 8.07, overtime 0.00. Estimated gross $161.33: regular $161.33 + overtime $0.00.
Step by step: 08:47 to 16:13
Step 1, write both times in 24-hour form: start 08:47, end 16:13.
Step 2, subtract the minutes. 13 is smaller than 47, so borrow an hour: 16:13 becomes 15:73. Then 73 − 47 = 26 minutes.
Step 3, subtract the hours: 15 − 8 = 7. The shift is 7 hours 26 minutes.
Step 4, convert to decimal if you need it: 26 ÷ 60 = 0.433, so 7.43 hours. At $20 an hour, that’s $148.67 estimated gross, worked out from the exact 7 hours 26 minutes.
With an unpaid break
Work out the shift first, then take the break off. The second worked example is 07:12 to 15:49 with an unpaid break from 11:58 to 12:31. The shift is 8 hours 37 minutes, the break is 33 minutes, so 8 hours 4 minutes were worked, or 8.07 hours.
Questions
How do I add up total hours worked for the week?
Add the hours and the minutes of each day separately, then turn every 60 minutes into an hour. 7:26 + 8:04 + 7:50 is 22 hours and 80 minutes, which is 23 hours 20 minutes. Or type the shifts into the calculator above.
Is 4.5 hours the same as 4 hours 30 minutes?
Yes. The .5 is half an hour, which is 30 minutes. But 4.30 hours is not 4 hours 30 minutes: it’s 4 hours 18 minutes, because 0.30 × 60 = 18.
How do I calculate a shift that goes past midnight?
Add 24 hours to the end time before subtracting. 22:00 to 06:00 becomes 22:00 to 30:00, so 8 hours. The calculator does this when the end time is earlier than the start.
Should I count the minutes or round to the quarter hour?
This calculator counts every minute. Some workplaces record start and stop times to the nearest 5 minutes, tenth or quarter of an hour. The federal rule on time clocks (29 CFR 785.48(b)) accepts that only if, over time, it doesn’t leave employees unpaid for time they actually worked. If your employer rounds, round your times the same way before typing them so the totals match your pay stub.
How do I calculate hours and minutes worked in Excel?
Put the start in one cell and the end in another as times, then use =(End-Start)*24 for decimal hours, adding 1 to End when the shift passes midnight. Subtract unpaid break minutes divided by 60.