Hours Calculator

Clocked in at 09:00, out at 17:30. That is 8.5 hours, not 8.3. Your timesheet has been lying about halves.

Use this free hours worked calculator to convert a clock-in and clock-out time into decimal hours for payroll. Enter both times in 24-hour format (0900, 1730) and get the hours worked as a decimal — the format timesheets, invoices, and payroll systems actually want.

The reason this needs a calculator is that time is base-60 and money is base-10. 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75 payroll hours, not 7.45, and that 30-cent-per-hour gap is how people quietly underbill themselves for years.

What This Hours Worked Calculator Does

Converts clock-in and clock-out times into decimal hours
Handles minutes correctly — 0930 is treated as 9.5 hours, not 9.3
Supports overnight shifts: an out time earlier than the in time wraps past midnight
Gives the number you can multiply straight by an hourly rate or drop into a timesheet

How to Use the Hours Worked Calculator

Inputs:

Time In (24h) — clock-in as HHMM, e.g. 0900 for 9 AM, 1315 for 1:15 PM
Time Out (24h) — clock-out as HHMM, e.g. 1730 for 5:30 PM

Steps:

Enter your start time in 24-hour HHMM form (no colon)
Enter your end time the same way
Click Calculate for decimal hours
Subtract unpaid breaks yourself — a 30-minute lunch means subtracting 0.5 from the result

How the Calculation Works

Decimal Hours = (HH + MM ÷ 60) out − (HH + MM ÷ 60) in Overnight: if the result is negative, add 24

Minute-to-decimal conversions worth memorizing: 15 min = 0.25 · 20 = 0.33 · 30 = 0.5 · 40 = 0.67 · 45 = 0.75
Pay = decimal hours × hourly rate. Never multiply by a HH:MM figure
Overnight example: in 2200, out 0600 → 6 − 22 = −16, +24 = 8 hours
Unpaid breaks are not deducted automatically; subtract them from the result

Worked Example: In 0845, out 1715, 45-minute unpaid lunch

In: 8 + 45 ÷ 60 = 8.75 · Out: 17 + 15 ÷ 60 = 17.25
Gross hours: 17.25 − 8.75 = 8.5 hours
Minus a 45-minute lunch (0.75): 7.75 paid hours
At $24/hour that is $186.00. The naive "17.15 − 8.45 = 8.70" version would have paid you $208.80 — pleasant, incorrect, and eventually noticed by someone in accounting.

Tips (From People Who Have Made These Mistakes)

Log times daily. Reconstructing a week on Friday afternoon consistently loses 20–40 minutes
For a weekly total, convert each day to decimal first, then add. Adding HH:MM values and converting once is where errors creep in
Over 40 hours in a US workweek is usually overtime at 1.5× — see the overtime calculator
Just converting minutes? The minutes to decimal calculator does that single step

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate hours worked?

Convert both times to decimal hours (minutes ÷ 60), subtract the start from the end, then subtract unpaid breaks. 0900 to 1730 = 8.5 hours, minus a 30-minute lunch = 8.0.

How do I convert minutes to decimal hours?

Divide minutes by 60. 15 min = 0.25, 30 = 0.5, 45 = 0.75, 50 = 0.83. Payroll systems require decimals, not HH:MM.

How do I calculate hours for an overnight shift?

Subtract normally and add 24 if the result is negative. 22:00 to 06:00 gives 6 − 22 = −16, +24 = 8 hours. This calculator does the wrap automatically.

Does the calculator subtract lunch breaks?

No — subtract them yourself, since break rules vary by employer and state. A 30-minute unpaid break is 0.5 off the total; a 1-hour break is 1.0.

How many hours is 9 to 5:30?

8.5 hours gross. With a 30-minute unpaid lunch it is 8.0 paid hours, which is where the standard "eight-hour day with a half-hour lunch" schedule comes from.

Mini Roast Disclaimer

We roast the number, not you. Although the hours between "clocked out" and "stopped answering emails" are not in this calculator, and they should be.

Reality Check

This computes elapsed time only. Break rules, rounding policies (many employers round to the nearest quarter hour), overtime thresholds, and shift differentials are set by your employer and local labor law. Keep your own record — it is the only version you control.