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How to calculate hours worked

Working out hours by hand is easy once you convert everything to minutes. Here is the method our calculator uses, with examples for breaks and night shifts.

Last reviewed: 25 October 2026

Step by step

  1. Convert start and end times to the 24-hour clock (2:30 PM becomes 14:30).
  2. Convert both to minutes after midnight: 14:30 = 14 × 60 + 30 = 870 minutes.
  3. Subtract start from end. If the result is negative, the shift crossed midnight, so add 1,440 minutes (24 hours).
  4. Subtract unpaid break minutes.
  5. Divide by 60 to get decimal hours for pay.

Example: a day shift

9:15 AM to 6:00 PM with a 45-minute lunch. Start = 555 minutes, end = 1,080 minutes. 1,080 − 555 = 525 minutes. Minus 45 = 480 minutes = 8.00 hours.

Example: a night shift

10:00 PM to 6:30 AM with a 30-minute break. Start = 1,320, end = 390. 390 − 1,320 is negative, so add 1,440: 510 minutes. Minus 30 = 480 minutes = 8.00 hours.

Minutes to decimal hours

Pay is usually worked out in decimal hours: 15 minutes = 0.25, 30 minutes = 0.5, 45 minutes = 0.75. So 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75 hours, not 7.45.

Try it yourself. Get your own result in seconds with the free Hours Calculator.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate hours for a shift that crosses midnight?

Subtract the start time from the end time in minutes; if the result is negative, add 1,440 minutes.

Is 7 hours 30 minutes 7.3 or 7.5 hours?

It is 7.5 hours, because 30 minutes is half an hour.

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Written and reviewed by the editorial team at Evavel Private Limited. Found an error? Email care@calculations.one.