Hours Calculator (Time Duration Between Two Times)

Formula

minutes = end − start (add 1,440 if the end is earlier than the start), minus the break; decimal hours = minutes ÷ 60

Both times are turned into minutes after midnight and subtracted. If the end comes out earlier than the start, the span crossed midnight, so a full day of 1,440 minutes is added. Any unpaid break is taken off, and the result is shown both as hours and minutes and as decimal hours — the form you multiply by an hourly rate.

Worked example

From 09:00 to 17:30 is 510 minutes. Taking off a 30-minute break leaves 480 minutes: 8 h 0 min, or 8.00 decimal hours.

Where this can give the wrong answer

• Decimal hours are not hours-and-minutes with a dot. 7 h 30 min is 7.50 hours, not 7.30 — multiplying 7.30 by a pay rate underpays by 12 minutes.
• An end time earlier than the start is read as the next day, so 22:00 to 06:00 is 8 hours. The page says when it has done this. Spans longer than 24 hours need the date difference calculator instead.
• Entering the same time twice gives zero, not 24 hours.
• Clock changes are ignored. On the night daylight saving time starts or ends, a shift across 02:00 is really an hour shorter or longer than shown.

Related calculators

• Time Card Calculator (Time Clock Hours & Overtime)
• Duration Calculator
• Salary to Hourly Calculator (and Hourly to Salary)