How to use this calculator
- Enter the time you clocked in and the time you clocked out.
- Add any unpaid break in minutes — lunch and other breaks are subtracted from the total.
- Read the result — hours worked in decimal form for timesheets, in hours:minutes, and your pay if you entered an hourly rate.
How is work day time calculated?
Work day time is the span between your clock-in and clock-out moments minus any unpaid breaks. A 09:00–17:00 shift with a 30-minute lunch is 8 hours minus 0.5 hours, so 7.5 hours worked. This calculator counts every minute — no rounding to quarters or tenths — and updates live as you change the times.
Overnight shifts
If the clock-out time is earlier than (or equal to) the clock-in time, the shift is treated as crossing midnight: 22:00–06:00 counts as 8 hours, not negative or zero. Night shifts that end exactly at the same minute they started count as a full 24 hours.
Why decimal hours?
Timesheets and payroll systems record hours in decimal form, because 7 hours 30 minutes must become 7.5 before multiplying by an hourly rate. The big number in the result is exactly that decimal figure: minutes divided by 60. 15 minutes is 0.25, 30 minutes is 0.5, and 45 minutes is 0.75.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hours worked in a workday?
Subtract the clock-in time from the clock-out time, then subtract any unpaid breaks. A shift from 09:00 to 17:00 with a 30-minute lunch gives 8:00 minus 0:30 = 7 hours 30 minutes, or 7.5 decimal hours. The calculator above does this instantly as you type.
How does the calculator handle overnight shifts?
If the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift is assumed to cross midnight and 24 hours are added. A 22:00–06:00 shift therefore counts as 8 hours, and the result notes that the end time falls on the next day.
What are decimal hours, and how are they computed?
Decimal hours express minutes as a fraction of an hour: divide the minutes by 60. 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.5 decimal hours, and 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75. Payroll systems use decimal hours because they multiply directly by the hourly rate.
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