HoursCalculator
Find the total hours between any two clock times with this free Hours Calculator. One click gives you the span in HH:MM, in decimal hours, and as total minutes and total seconds — the formats you need for payroll and everyday time tracking.
Calculate Hours Between Two Times
Set a start and an end time and the total hours appear in four formats at once.
How This Hours Calculator Works
Four short steps to calculate hours between two times.
Set the Start Time
Choose the starting time in the time picker — anything from 00:00 to 23:59.
Set the End Time
Choose the ending time. If it falls after midnight, the overnight span is worked out for you.
Calculate
Press "Calculate Hours" — or simply change a time — to see the result in HH:MM and decimal form.
Use the Numbers
Paste the decimal hours into payroll or billing, or keep the HH:MM figure for rotas and schedules. The copy button grabs every format at once.
What Is an Hours Calculator?
A quick guide to time-to-hours conversion.
Hours calculation basics
An Hours Calculator turns the stretch between two clock readings into a single number. It finds the difference in minutes and divides by 60: Hours = (End Time − Start Time) ÷ 60 minutes.
The output that matters most is decimal hours, the format payroll software, invoicing tools and project trackers all expect. 8 hours 30 minutes becomes 8.50 decimal hours.
Common decimal conversions
- 15 minutes = 0.25 hours
- 30 minutes = 0.50 hours
- 45 minutes = 0.75 hours
- 20 minutes = 0.33 hours
- 10 minutes = 0.17 hours
Overnight handling
When the end time is earlier than the start time — 10 PM to 6 AM, say — the shift must have crossed midnight, so 24 hours are added before subtracting. The answer is the correct 8 hours.
When to Use an Hours Calculator
Everyday situations where an hours calculation saves time.
Payroll Processing
Turn clock-in/out times into decimal hours, multiply by the hourly rate and pay people exactly what they earned.
Client Billing
Record billable hours for each client and drop the decimal figure straight into your invoice or accounting app.
Timesheet Entry
Complete digital timesheets that ask for decimal hours without converting minutes in your head.
Sports Timing
Express race times and workout durations in hours for pace maths and training logs.
Study Tracking
Record study session hours as decimals and add up a week of revision in seconds.
Media Production
Measure recording session length for audio and video work and budget studio hire to the quarter hour.
Hours Calculation Examples
Three everyday time-to-hours conversions, worked out.
Standard workday
9:00 AM → 5:30 PM is 8h 30m, which is 8.50 decimal hours or 510 minutes.
Half day
9:00 AM → 1:00 PM is 4h 00m — 4.00 decimal hours, or 240 minutes.
Night shift
10:00 PM → 6:00 AM crosses midnight and comes to 8h 00m: 8.00 decimal hours, or 480 minutes.
Hours Calculator FAQ
Quick answers about using the Hours Calculator.
Type the start time and the end time. The calculator subtracts one from the other and shows the gap as hours and minutes (HH:MM), as decimal hours, and as total minutes and seconds — all at once.
Decimal hours write a length of time as one number instead of hours plus minutes. 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.50, and 45 minutes is 0.75. Payroll, invoicing and timesheet systems prefer this form because you can multiply it straight by an hourly rate.
Yes. When the end time is earlier than the start time — 10 PM to 6 AM, for example — the calculator assumes the shift ran past midnight, adds 24 hours, and returns the correct 8 hours.
Yes. The decimal hours figure is ready for payroll: multiply it by the hourly rate. For example, 7.50 hours at $20 an hour comes to $150.
Divide the minutes by 60. 15 minutes is 0.25 of an hour, 30 minutes is 0.50, 45 minutes is 0.75 and 20 minutes is about 0.33. The calculator does this division for you on every result.
Yes. It costs nothing and needs no account. The arithmetic runs in your browser, so the times you enter stay on your device.
Work out the hours between clocking in and clocking out, then take the break off the decimal figure: a 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM day with a 30-minute lunch is 8.50 − 0.50 = 8.00 paid hours. The Work Hours Calculator and Break Time Calculator do this deduction automatically.