Time Calculator
Calculate the time between two clock times in hours and minutes. Use the calculator for work hours, shifts, schedules, breaks and everyday time calculations.
Result
- Duration
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- Hours
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- Minutes
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- Decimal Hours
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- Seconds
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Calculations happen in your browser. The times you enter are never uploaded and are not sent to analytics.
How to Use the Time Calculator
- Enter the start time — for example 08:30 or 8:30 AM.
- Enter the end time.
- Select Calculate. The duration appears in hours and minutes, with the decimal hours equivalent.
- Need to deduct a lunch break? Add the break minutes under advanced options.
- Working overnight? The calculator detects that the end time is earlier than the start and treats it as the next day.
How Time Duration Is Calculated
Times are converted to a single integer — seconds since midnight — before any arithmetic happens. The duration is the end value minus the start value; if the end is smaller, 24 hours are added to represent the next day. Break minutes are subtracted after that.
Working with whole seconds avoids the rounding errors that appear when clock times are converted to decimal hours too early. Conversion to decimal hours happens only for display, at the end.
Hours and Minutes vs Decimal Hours
A timesheet or payroll system often expects decimal hours. The conversion is simple but easy to get wrong:
- 7 hours 30 minutes = 7.50 decimal hours
- 7 hours 15 minutes = 7.25 decimal hours
- 7 hours 45 minutes = 7.75 decimal hours
- 7 hours 25 minutes = 7.4167 decimal hours
Remember that 7:30 is not 7.30 — the minutes are a fraction of an hour, so divide them by 60.
Overnight Time Calculations
Overnight shifts are common in healthcare, security, logistics and hospitality. If the end time is earlier than the start time, this calculator assumes the shift ends on the next day: 22:00 to 06:00 is 8 hours, and 23:30 to 00:30 is 1 hour. The result notes when a duration crosses midnight, and you can override the behaviour in the advanced options.
Examples
- A standard working day: 08:00 to 17:00 is 9 hours; deduct 30 minutes for lunch and it is 8 hours 30 minutes (8.50 decimal hours).
- A morning shift: 07:15 to 15:45 is 8 hours 30 minutes with no break.
- A night shift: 22:00 to 06:00 is 8 hours across midnight.
- Two meetings back to back: 09:40 to 10:25 is 45 minutes.
Common Uses
- Checking hours worked before filling in a time card or timesheet
- Planning shifts and schedules, including overnight cover
- Working out the length of meetings, lessons, workouts and travel
- Converting hours and minutes into decimal hours for payroll entries
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate the time between two times?
Enter a start and end time and select Calculate. The result shows the duration in hours and minutes, the total minutes and the same duration as decimal hours.
What happens if the end time is earlier than the start time?
By default the calculator treats it as an overnight duration and adds 24 hours — 22:00 to 06:00 is 8 hours. You can force “same day” handling in the advanced options if you want an error instead.
How are breaks subtracted?
Enter the break length in minutes in the advanced options and it is deducted from the duration. The result shows the break separately so you can see both the gross and net time.
What are decimal hours?
Decimal hours express minutes as a fraction of an hour: 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.50 decimal hours, not 7.30. Decimal hours are commonly used on timesheets and payroll systems.
Does this time calculator handle seconds?
Yes. Switch “Include seconds” to Yes in the advanced options and the duration, hours, minutes and seconds are calculated and displayed.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. All calculations happen in your browser. The times you enter are never uploaded and are not sent to analytics.