Home / work hours calculator
Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browser
Work Hours Calculator
Calculate one shift quickly, including an unpaid break and shifts that end the next day.
Calculator inputs and results
Try an example:
Paid duration: 7h 30m · 7.50 decimal hours
Clear results
Fast shift math with visible assumptions
Paid duration, not just elapsed time
The work hours calculator subtracts the unpaid break. A 9 AM to 5 PM shift with a 30-minute unpaid break produces 7 hours 30 minutes of paid time.
Overnight aware
When clock-out is earlier than clock-in, the work hours calculator treats the end time as the following day.
Decimal and clock display
See both 7h 30m and 7.50 decimal hours, so the result can be checked against a timecard or payroll worksheet.
Made for real questions
Common shift examples
Day shift
Try 9 AM to 5 PM to see the effect of a 30-minute unpaid break.
Shorter schedule
Try 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM when reviewing a standard seven-and-a-half-hour paid day.
Night shift
Try 10 PM to 6 AM to confirm that the overnight label appears before relying on the total.
How to use this calculator
Enter your own numbers, review the result, and use it as a clear gross-pay or time estimate. Important payroll, tax, and employment decisions should be confirmed with your employer or an appropriate professional.
Formula and assumptions
Paid minutes = end time − start time − unpaid break. An end time earlier than start is treated as next day.
All money results are estimated gross pay before taxes and deductions. Time calculations use integer minutes before display rounding.
Worked example
10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is an 8-hour overnight shift before breaks.
What to expect
Work hours calculator inputs
Clock-in and clock-out
Use standard time inputs instead of manually subtracting hours across midnight.
Unpaid break
Enter only break time that should be removed from paid duration.
Clickable examples
Five examples provide a quick way to test the calculation before replacing them with your own times.
Calculate one shift
The shift tool uses paid minutes = end time minus start time minus unpaid break. It calculates in whole minutes, then displays hours and minutes plus a decimal value.
For example, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM is 480 elapsed minutes. With a 30-minute unpaid break, the paid duration is 450 minutes, or 7h 30m and 7.50 hours.
Treat overnight time carefully
A 10 PM to 6 AM shift crosses midnight. The work hours calculator adds the next-day boundary before subtracting the break, rather than treating the end time as a negative value.
A very long break can reduce paid time to zero in this tool. Review the actual employer rule for paid rest periods, meal periods, and rounding before using the estimate for pay questions.
Check elapsed time before pay
The work hours calculator is most useful when the shift boundary is clear. First calculate elapsed time, then subtract only unpaid minutes. For a 7 AM to 3:30 PM shift, elapsed time is 8h 30m. A 30-minute unpaid break leaves 8h paid time. A paid break should not be entered as an unpaid break.
For an overnight entry, say 10 PM to 6 AM, the calendar change matters more than the order of the clock values. The work hours calculator treats 6 AM as next-day time. Check the overnight note before copying the result, especially when comparing a shift that began near midnight.
Separate elapsed time from paid time
Start with the physical clock span and then identify which minutes are unpaid. A shift from 6:45 AM to 3:15 PM spans 8 hours 30 minutes. If lunch is 45 unpaid minutes, paid time is 7 hours 45 minutes. If a rest period is paid, do not subtract it merely because work stopped for a few minutes.
For a shift that ends after midnight, record the actual start and end rather than converting both to guessed decimal values. Compare the displayed overnight note with the schedule, then copy either the hours-and-minutes result or the decimal result required by the receiving form. Preserve the original clock record in case the form rounds differently.
Source and review notes
U.S. Department of Labor: Breaks and Meal Periods. Used for general context only. The calculator does not decide whether a break is paid under a particular rule.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this work overnight?
Yes. The result explicitly notes when the shift ends next day.
Are breaks paid?
Enter only unpaid break minutes to subtract them.
Related calculators and guides
Ready when you are
Calculate a shift
Enter a clock-in, clock-out, and unpaid break to see paid duration in two formats.