Hours Between Two Times
Enter a start time and an end time in any common format, take off an unpaid break, and get the hours worked in hours:minutes and decimal hours. Overnight shifts are handled.
9:00 AM, 9am, 17:30 or 1730
earlier than start = next day
Hours worked
8:00
8.00 decimal hours
Elapsed time
8:30
before the break
As written
9:00 AM → 5:30 PM
09:00 → 17:30
Worked = end − start (+24 h if it crosses midnight) − break. Decimal hours = minutes ÷ 60.
Common shifts
| Start | End | Break | Hours | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 4:00 PM | 0 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 8:00 AM | 4:30 PM | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 8:30 AM | 5:00 PM | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 9:00 AM | 5:00 PM | 0 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 9:00 AM | 5:30 PM | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 9:00 AM | 6:00 PM | 60 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 7:00 AM | 3:30 PM | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 6:00 AM | 2:30 PM | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 3:00 PM | 11:00 PM | 0 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 11:00 PM | 7:00 AM | 0 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 7:00 PM | 7:00 AM | 60 min | 11:00 | 11.00 |
| 10:00 PM | 6:30 AM | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
For a whole week of shifts with rounding, overtime and pay, use the time card calculator on the home page; this page is the single-shift version of the same arithmetic.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours is 9 to 5?
Eight hours, and 7.5 if you take an unpaid half-hour lunch. 9 to 5:30 with the same lunch is 8 hours, which is why the 9-to-5 job is usually scheduled 9 to 5:30 or 8:30 to 5.
How do I count hours across midnight?
Add 24 hours to the end time when it is earlier than the start. 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM: 6 + 24 = 30, minus 22 is 8 hours. The calculator does this automatically whenever the end time is earlier than the start.
How do I write 7 hours 45 minutes as a decimal?
45 ÷ 60 = 0.75, so 7.75. The decimal is what timesheet and payroll software wants, and 7.45 would be wrong by 18 minutes.
Does the break have to be unpaid?
The calculator treats the break as unpaid time removed from the shift, which is how meal breaks usually work. Paid rest breaks of 10 to 15 minutes are normally not deducted, so leave them at zero.
Hours are simple subtraction, breaks are subtracted, decimals are minutes ÷ 60, and rounding follows the FLSA 7-minute rule where you switch it on. Overtime rules here are the federal and California defaults; your state, union contract or employer policy may differ, and pay figures are gross, before tax.