Calculate total hours worked between start and end times with break deduction, decimal conversion, and overnight shift support.
Input your shift start and end times in 12-hour AM/PM or 24-hour military format.
Input any unpaid lunch or rest period in minutes (e.g. 30 or 45 minutes).
Instantly view your net billable hours formatted as H:MM and base-10 decimal hours ready for timesheet entry.
Net Hours = ((End_Minutes - Start_Minutes - Break_Minutes) + (isOvernight ? 1440 : 0)) / 60 End_Minutes = Clock-out time converted into minutes from midnightStart_Minutes = Clock-in time converted into minutes from midnightBreak_Minutes = Total unpaid break minutes deducted from the shift1440 = Minutes added if the shift crosses midnight into the next dayDecimal hours = Net Hours integer + (Remaining Minutes / 60).
Step-by-step breakdown of common real-world time scenarios, work shifts, and duration math.
Started at 9:00 AM, ended at 5:30 PM, with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break.
(9:00 AM to 5:30 PM = 8h 30m) − 30m break = 8h 00m Started at 8:15 AM, ended at 1:45 PM, with no breaks.
8:15 AM to 1:45 PM = 5h 30m Clocked in at 10:00 PM, clocked out at 6:30 AM, with a 45-minute break.
(22:00 to 06:30 = 8h 30m) − 45m break = 7h 45m How professionals and individuals apply this calculation across various industries.
Calculate exact daily decimal hours to enter into payroll software like ADP, Gusto, or QuickBooks.
Convert time tracking logs into decimal hours for transparent client invoicing.
Accurately log service and internship hours required for academic graduation or certification credit.
Measure net productive focus time across deep-work blocks by subtracting break intervals.
Calculating work hours requires converting clock timestamps into fractional decimal hours that accounting and payroll software can process. For pure elapsed duration without lunch break deductions, use our flagship Time Duration Calculator or compute quick differences on the Time Between Two Times Calculator.
A common mistake is treating 15 minutes as 0.15 hours. To perform instant conversions or print a cheat sheet, visit our Decimal Hours Calculator and Minutes to Decimal Conversion Chart:
0.25 decimal hours (one quarter of an hour).0.50 decimal hours (half an hour).0.75 decimal hours (three quarters of an hour).Under federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines:
Subtract your start time from your end time (adding 24 hours if the shift crosses midnight), then subtract any unpaid break minutes. Convert the remaining minutes to decimal hours by dividing by 60.
Enter the length of your unpaid break in minutes (e.g., 30 or 45). The calculator deducts that exact number of minutes from your total shift length.
Decimal hours represent fractional hours in base 10 rather than base 60. For example, 7 hours and 15 minutes is 7.25 decimal hours, which payroll software uses to multiply by hourly wage.
All calculations on this tool are deterministic and rigorously tested against base-60 modulo arithmetic and US Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA 29 CFR § 785.48) payroll rounding guidelines.