Hours Between Times Calculator
Use your own numbers after reviewing the formula and worked example.
Quick answer
Convert clock times to a consistent minute count, subtract, adjust overnight shifts and subtract unpaid breaks.
Formula or method
Keep units, percentages and time periods consistent. The formula is useful as a transparent check on the calculator result and helps explain why changing one input changes the answer.
Step-by-step
- Convert start/end times to minutes after midnight.
- Subtract start from end.
- Add 1,440 minutes if the shift crosses midnight.
- Subtract unpaid breaks.
- Convert the result to hours or decimal hours.
Worked example
8:45 AM to 5:30 PM is 8h45m; minus a 30-minute unpaid break gives 8h15m, or 8.25 decimal hours.
How to interpret the result
Payroll rounding rules are separate from exact elapsed-time arithmetic.
When the answer is used for a purchase, loan, payroll decision, construction order, school grade, health estimate or other real-world choice, verify the assumptions that matter in that context. Accurate arithmetic still depends on accurate inputs.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting overnight crossings.
- Subtracting paid breaks.
- Reading 8:15 as 8.15 decimal hours.
Frequently asked questions
How do I handle 10 PM to 6 AM?
Treat 6 AM as the next day.
30 minutes in decimal hours?
0.50.
Should I round daily totals?
Follow the applicable timekeeping rule; mathematically, later rounding reduces accumulated error.