Hours Worked Calculator

Hours worked calculator for shift time, breaks, and pay

An hours worked calculator helps you turn a start time and end time into a clean total you can use for timesheets, payroll checks, invoicing, or personal tracking. If you work shifts, do freelance work billed by the hour, or you are checking a payslip, the hardest part is usually not the math. It is the little details like unpaid breaks, overnight shifts, and time formats that cause mistakes.

This calculator focuses on real world use. You enter a start time, an end time, and the number of minutes you spent on breaks. The calculator returns your net working time in two formats: hours and minutes (like 8:30) and decimal hours (like 8.50). If you also enter an hourly rate, it will estimate your gross pay for that shift using the net hours after breaks.

Use it for a single shift, then repeat for each day if you want weekly totals. If your shift crosses midnight, tick the overnight option so the end time is treated as the next day. That avoids the common mistake where an end time like 06:00 looks earlier than a start time like 22:00 even though the shift is longer. This tool is designed for quick checks, not as a full payroll system with overtime rules, allowances, or tax deductions.

Assumptions and how to use this calculator

• Times can be entered in 24 hour format (08:30, 17:00) or common 12 hour format (8:30am, 5pm).
• Breaks are entered as minutes and are subtracted from the total time between start and end.
• If the overnight box is checked, the end time is treated as the next calendar day.
• If the overnight box is not checked, the end time must be the same day and later than the start time.
• Pay is a simple estimate: net hours multiplied by hourly rate. It does not include overtime multipliers, rounding policies, or deductions.

Common questions

What is the difference between 8:30 and 8.50 hours?

8:30 means 8 hours and 30 minutes. 8.50 is decimal hours, where the minutes are converted into a fraction of an hour. 30 minutes is 0.5 hours, so 8 hours 30 minutes becomes 8.50. Decimal hours are commonly used for billing and spreadsheets, while hours and minutes are easier to sanity check by eye.

How do I calculate hours worked if I have an unpaid lunch break?

Enter your start and end time normally, then enter your lunch break as minutes in the break field. For example, a 30 minute unpaid lunch should be entered as 30. The calculator subtracts that time from your total shift duration and shows your net working time.

My shift ends after midnight. What should I do?

Tick the overnight shift option. Then enter your start time and end time as you normally would. For example, start 22:00 and end 06:00 with overnight enabled. Without the overnight option, the calculator treats both times as the same day and the result would be invalid.

Does this include overtime rules and penalty rates?

No. This is a general purpose hours and pay calculator. Overtime rules vary by country, employer, union agreement, and job type. If you need overtime, you can use the net hours output as a base and apply your own overtime thresholds and multipliers separately.

Why does my employer round time differently than this calculator?

Many workplaces use rounding policies such as rounding clock-in times to the nearest 5, 10, or 15 minutes, or rounding to a fixed payroll increment. This calculator uses the exact time you enter. If your workplace rounds, you should enter the rounded times (or manually round your inputs) to match what payroll will use.