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Hours calculator
Enter when you started and finished and any unpaid break. The calculator gives the hours worked in hours and minutes and in decimal, works across midnight for night shifts and, if you add your hourly rate, shows the pay.
By Asier Fernández ·
Hours for common shifts
| Shift | Hours | With a 30-minute unpaid meal |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | 8 | 7.5 |
| 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | 8.5 | 8 |
| 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | 8 | 7.5 |
| 3:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. | 8 | 7.5 |
| 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. | 8 | 7.5 |
| 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. | 12 | 11.5 |
| 7:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. | 12 | 11.5 |
| 6:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. | 12.5 | 12 |
A shift that ends earlier on the clock than it started has crossed midnight: the calculator adds 24 hours to the end time before subtracting.
Which breaks count as hours worked?
Under federal rules, short rest breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes are work time and must be paid (29 CFR 785.18). A meal period is unpaid only when you are completely relieved of duty, ordinarily for 30 minutes or more; if you eat at your station or answer calls, it counts as work (29 CFR 785.19). So only enter breaks that you take off duty. Several states also require meal or rest breaks; your state labor department has the details.
How to calculate hours worked by hand
- Write both times on the 24-hour clock: 10:45 p.m. is 22:45 and 7:15 a.m. is 07:15.
- Subtract the start from the end. If the result is negative, the shift crossed midnight: add 24 hours. 07:15 − 22:45 is −15:30, plus 24:00 is 8:30.
- Take off any unpaid meal break: 8:30 − 0:30 is 8 hours.
- For payroll, turn the minutes into a decimal: 30 minutes is 0.5, so 8:30 is 8.5 hours.
For a week, add the days and compare with 40. Three 12-hour shifts and one 8-hour day make 44 hours: 40 regular and 4 overtime at time and a half under federal law. The military time chart helps with step 1.
Decimal hours for payroll
To pay hours and minutes, turn the minutes into a decimal by dividing by 60: 11 hours 30 minutes is 11.5 hours. At $25 an hour that is $287.50. Every quarter hour is 0.25.
Totals for a week or a year
For several days at once and weekly overtime, use the time card calculator. To count a year of shifts on a rotating schedule, put your pattern in the shift calendar; the work hours in a year guide compares 8, 12 and 24-hour schedules.
More guides
Figures are worked out from each cycle; rules checked against official sources on . How we calculate
Questions
How many hours is 9 to 5?
8 hours. With an unpaid 30-minute lunch it is 7.5 hours, and with an unpaid hour 7 hours.
How many hours is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.?
12 hours. With a 30-minute unpaid meal break, 11.5 paid hours.
How many hours is 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.?
12 hours. When the end time is earlier than the start, the shift crosses midnight: add 24 hours to the end before subtracting.
How many hours is 8 to 4:30?
8.5 hours, or 8 hours with a 30-minute unpaid lunch.
Do breaks count as hours worked?
Rest breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes do and must be paid. Meal periods of 30 minutes or more are unpaid only if you are completely relieved of duty (29 CFR 785.18 and 785.19).