Hours Calculator
Enter a start time and an end time and get the hours between them. Take off an unpaid break if you had one. Overnight shifts work too, and the chart below has the common start and finish pairs already worked out.
Decimal hours
Hours and minutes
8:00
8h 0m
Time on the clock
8 h
Before the break is taken off
Break taken off
None
Whole span is paid
Quick reference
- 9 to 5
- 8 h
- 8 to 4
- 8 h
- 7 to 3
- 8 h
- 9 to 5:30
- 8.5 h
8 hours, and that is one day for one person
Doing this for a whole team every week is where the errors creep in. TimeTracker records start and finish times as they happen and totals them for you.
How many hours common shifts are
Open the start time you need. Each row gives the finish time, the hours on the clock, the paid hours after a 30-minute unpaid break, and the same total as clock time.
Shifts starting at 5:00 amCommon finish times for a 5:00 am start, with and without a 30-minute unpaid break.
| Shift | On the clock | After a break | As h:mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 am to 9:00 am | 4 h | 3.5 h | 4:00 |
| 5:00 am to 10:00 am | 5 h | 4.5 h | 5:00 |
| 5:00 am to 11:00 am | 6 h | 5.5 h | 6:00 |
| 5:00 am to 12:00 pm | 7 h | 6.5 h | 7:00 |
| 5:00 am to 1:00 pm | 8 h | 7.5 h | 8:00 |
| 5:00 am to 1:30 pm | 8.5 h | 8 h | 8:30 |
| 5:00 am to 2:00 pm | 9 h | 8.5 h | 9:00 |
| 5:00 am to 3:00 pm | 10 h | 9.5 h | 10:00 |
| 5:00 am to 5:00 pm | 12 h | 11.5 h | 12:00 |
Shifts starting at 6:00 amCommon finish times for a 6:00 am start, with and without a 30-minute unpaid break.
| Shift | On the clock | After a break | As h:mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 am to 10:00 am | 4 h | 3.5 h | 4:00 |
| 6:00 am to 11:00 am | 5 h | 4.5 h | 5:00 |
| 6:00 am to 12:00 pm | 6 h | 5.5 h | 6:00 |
| 6:00 am to 1:00 pm | 7 h | 6.5 h | 7:00 |
| 6:00 am to 2:00 pm | 8 h | 7.5 h | 8:00 |
| 6:00 am to 2:30 pm | 8.5 h | 8 h | 8:30 |
| 6:00 am to 3:00 pm | 9 h | 8.5 h | 9:00 |
| 6:00 am to 4:00 pm | 10 h | 9.5 h | 10:00 |
| 6:00 am to 6:00 pm | 12 h | 11.5 h | 12:00 |
Shifts starting at 7:00 amCommon finish times for a 7:00 am start, with and without a 30-minute unpaid break.
| Shift | On the clock | After a break | As h:mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 am to 11:00 am | 4 h | 3.5 h | 4:00 |
| 7:00 am to 12:00 pm | 5 h | 4.5 h | 5:00 |
| 7:00 am to 1:00 pm | 6 h | 5.5 h | 6:00 |
| 7:00 am to 2:00 pm | 7 h | 6.5 h | 7:00 |
| 7:00 am to 3:00 pm | 8 h | 7.5 h | 8:00 |
| 7:00 am to 3:30 pm | 8.5 h | 8 h | 8:30 |
| 7:00 am to 4:00 pm | 9 h | 8.5 h | 9:00 |
| 7:00 am to 5:00 pm | 10 h | 9.5 h | 10:00 |
| 7:00 am to 7:00 pm | 12 h | 11.5 h | 12:00 |
Shifts starting at 8:00 amCommon finish times for a 8:00 am start, with and without a 30-minute unpaid break.
| Shift | On the clock | After a break | As h:mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 am to 12:00 pm | 4 h | 3.5 h | 4:00 |
| 8:00 am to 1:00 pm | 5 h | 4.5 h | 5:00 |
| 8:00 am to 2:00 pm | 6 h | 5.5 h | 6:00 |
| 8:00 am to 3:00 pm | 7 h | 6.5 h | 7:00 |
| 8:00 am to 4:00 pm | 8 h | 7.5 h | 8:00 |
| 8:00 am to 4:30 pm | 8.5 h | 8 h | 8:30 |
| 8:00 am to 5:00 pm | 9 h | 8.5 h | 9:00 |
| 8:00 am to 6:00 pm | 10 h | 9.5 h | 10:00 |
| 8:00 am to 8:00 pm | 12 h | 11.5 h | 12:00 |
Shifts starting at 9:00 amCommon finish times for a 9:00 am start, with and without a 30-minute unpaid break.
| Shift | On the clock | After a break | As h:mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | 4 h | 3.5 h | 4:00 |
| 9:00 am to 2:00 pm | 5 h | 4.5 h | 5:00 |
| 9:00 am to 3:00 pm | 6 h | 5.5 h | 6:00 |
| 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | 7 h | 6.5 h | 7:00 |
| 9:00 am to 5:00 pm | 8 h | 7.5 h | 8:00 |
| 9:00 am to 5:30 pm | 8.5 h | 8 h | 8:30 |
| 9:00 am to 6:00 pm | 9 h | 8.5 h | 9:00 |
| 9:00 am to 7:00 pm | 10 h | 9.5 h | 10:00 |
| 9:00 am to 9:00 pm | 12 h | 11.5 h | 12:00 |
Shifts starting at 10:00 amCommon finish times for a 10:00 am start, with and without a 30-minute unpaid break.
| Shift | On the clock | After a break | As h:mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | 4 h | 3.5 h | 4:00 |
| 10:00 am to 3:00 pm | 5 h | 4.5 h | 5:00 |
| 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | 6 h | 5.5 h | 6:00 |
| 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | 7 h | 6.5 h | 7:00 |
| 10:00 am to 6:00 pm | 8 h | 7.5 h | 8:00 |
| 10:00 am to 6:30 pm | 8.5 h | 8 h | 8:30 |
| 10:00 am to 7:00 pm | 9 h | 8.5 h | 9:00 |
| 10:00 am to 8:00 pm | 10 h | 9.5 h | 10:00 |
| 10:00 am to 10:00 pm | 12 h | 11.5 h | 12:00 |
Shifts starting at 11:00 amCommon finish times for a 11:00 am start, with and without a 30-minute unpaid break.
| Shift | On the clock | After a break | As h:mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | 4 h | 3.5 h | 4:00 |
| 11:00 am to 4:00 pm | 5 h | 4.5 h | 5:00 |
| 11:00 am to 5:00 pm | 6 h | 5.5 h | 6:00 |
| 11:00 am to 6:00 pm | 7 h | 6.5 h | 7:00 |
| 11:00 am to 7:00 pm | 8 h | 7.5 h | 8:00 |
| 11:00 am to 7:30 pm | 8.5 h | 8 h | 8:30 |
| 11:00 am to 8:00 pm | 9 h | 8.5 h | 9:00 |
| 11:00 am to 9:00 pm | 10 h | 9.5 h | 10:00 |
| 11:00 am to 11:00 pm | 12 h | 11.5 h | 12:00 |
How to work out hours between two times
Take the finish time away from the start time. 9am to 5pm is 8 hours. The arithmetic only gets awkward in two places, and both have a simple rule.
The first is minutes. 8:45am to 5:15pm is not 9 hours 30, it is 8 hours 30, and the reliable way is to convert both times to minutes since midnight, subtract, then divide by 60. That is what the calculator above does.
The second is midnight. If the finish time is earlier than the start, the shift crossed into the next day, so add 24 hours before subtracting. 10pm to 6am is 8 hours, not minus 16.
Hours on the clock are not paid hours
9 to 5 is eight hours on the clock and, in most jobs, seven and a half hours of pay. The half hour is an unpaid lunch, and it is the single most common reason a hand-worked timesheet disagrees with a payslip.
The rule of thumb: an unpaid meal break comes off, and short paid rest breaks stay in. Which is which depends on your state and your contract, so the calculator asks rather than assuming.
The chart above prints both columns for the same reason. A page that only shows 8 hours for 9 to 5 is answering a question nobody asked.
Once a week is fine, every day is not
Working out one day between two times is quick. Doing it for a team, every day, then totalling it into a week and typing that into payroll, is where hours go missing. The entries that get fumbled are the awkward ones: the late finish, the shift over midnight, the day someone skipped lunch.
The way out is to stop reconstructing the times at all. Timesheets record start and finish as they happen and total the week already in decimal hours, ready for an approver.
For a week of shifts with overtime and pay, use the work hours calculator. To lay out a full clock-in and clock-out grid, the time card calculator is the one you want.
Frequently asked questions
Common queries and answers about the hours calculator.
- How many hours is 9 to 5?
- 9am to 5pm is 8 hours on the clock. With a 30-minute unpaid lunch it is 7.5 paid hours, which is what most 9 to 5 jobs actually pay.
- How many hours is 8 to 4?
- 8am to 4pm is 8 hours, the same span as 9 to 5. Take off a 30-minute break and it is 7.5 paid hours.
- How many hours is 7am to 3pm?
- 7am to 3pm is 8 hours. It is a common early shift, and with a half-hour break it pays 7.5 hours.
- How do I calculate hours worked?
- Subtract the start time from the end time, then take off any unpaid break. If the finish is on the next day, add 24 hours before subtracting.
- How do I work out hours for an overnight shift?
- Count up to midnight, then add the hours after midnight. 10pm to 6am is 2 hours plus 6 hours, so 8 hours. This calculator does that for you when the end time is earlier than the start.
- Should I take the lunch break off?
- Take it off if it is unpaid, which is normal for a 30-minute or 1-hour lunch. Short paid rest breaks stay in.
- Why does my timesheet want 7.5 and not 7:30?
- Pay is hours multiplied by a rate, and 7:30 cannot be multiplied. 7.5 is the same time written so the arithmetic works.
- How many hours is a full-time week?
- Full time in the US is normally 40 hours, which is five 8-hour days. Hours past 40 in a workweek are usually overtime at 1.5 times the rate.
- How much time has passed between two times?
- Put the earlier time in the start box and the later one in the end box. The answer appears in decimal hours and in hours and minutes.
- Does this calculator save what I type?
- No. It runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere or stored.
Tired of doing this by hand?
TimeTracker captures every hour automatically and turns it into timesheets, invoices, and live profitability.