Work Hours Calculator
Work out hours worked from start and end times, minus an unpaid break, in decimal and h:m form.
Clock in (start)
Clock out (end)
min
8h 0m worked
- 1
Start time in minutes
9 × 60 + 0 = 540 - 2
End time in minutes
17 × 60 + 30 = 1,050 - 3
Gross span
1,050 − 540 = 510 - 4
Net worked minutes
510 − 30 = 480 - 5
Hours worked
480 ÷ 60 = 8
Formula
How this is calculated
Each time is read as a clock value (HH:MM) and converted to minutes-since-midnight: hours × 60 + minutes. The gross span is clockOut minutes minus clockIn minutes. If that difference is negative, the shift crossed midnight, so 24 hours (1440 minutes) are added — this is what makes an overnight shift like 22:00 to 06:00 come out as 8 hours instead of a negative number. No time zones, daylight-saving changes, or seconds are considered; both times are assumed to be on the same clock.
The unpaid break (entered in minutes) is then subtracted from the gross span to give net worked minutes. That value is reported three ways: hours and minutes via integer division and remainder (floor(worked ÷ 60) and worked mod 60), and decimal hours as worked ÷ 60 rounded to two places — the form most payroll systems expect.
The only edge case handled is a break longer than the shift, which would make worked time negative; the calculator flags this rather than showing a negative result. It does not validate overtime rules, multiple breaks, or pay rates.
Examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| 09:00 to 17:30, 30 min break | 8.0 hours (8h 0m) |
| 22:00 to 06:00, 45 min break | 7.25 hours (7h 15m) |
About this calculator
The work hours calculator turns a clock-in time, a clock-out time and an unpaid break into the number of hours actually worked. The gross span is the time between clock-in and clock-out; the unpaid break is then subtracted to give net worked time. Results are shown in decimal hours (handy for payroll) and in hours and minutes.
Overnight shifts are supported: if the clock-out time is earlier than the clock-in time, 24 hours are added so a shift from 22:00 to 06:00 is measured correctly. Enter the break as a number of minutes; if the break is longer than the shift, the calculator flags it instead of returning a negative value.
Frequently asked questions
Most payroll systems multiply an hourly rate by decimal hours, so 8 hours 30 minutes is entered as 8.5 rather than 8:30.
Yes. If the clock-out time is before the clock-in time, the calculator assumes the shift ended the next day and adds 24 hours.
The break minutes you enter are treated as unpaid and subtracted from the total. Leave it at 0 if your break is paid.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Work Hours Calculator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/work-hours-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Work Hours Calculator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/work-hours-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Work Hours Calculator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/work-hours-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_work_hours_calculator, title = {Work Hours Calculator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/work-hours-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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