Enter the start time and the end time of a shift, the unpaid break in minutes and the hourly rate. Times are entered on a 24-hour or 12-hour clock as the tool provides, and shifts that cross midnight are handled by wrapping the end time. Use the actual clock-in and clock-out times, not the scheduled ones, and subtract only unpaid breaks.
Rounding rules vary by employer, so check your policy.
Time Card: worked example
| Start time | 9:00 AM |
|---|---|
| End time | 5:30 PM |
| Unpaid break (minutes) | 30 |
| Hourly rate | $20 |
| Hours worked | 8.00 |
| Pay for the shift | $160 |
| Minutes worked | 480 |
Clock arithmetic omits dates, time zones and daylight-saving transitions. Equal start and end means zero elapsed time here, not an assumed 24-hour shift. Weekly overtime, payable-break rules and lawful rounding require the applicable employment rules; this tool does not establish them.
Time Card: formula
Common error: Rounding the start and end to the nearest quarter hour before subtracting. Rounding rules differ by employer, and rounding each end can shift the total in either direction.
Time Card: changing Start time
| Start time | Hours worked | Pay for the shift | Minutes worked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 9.00 | $180 | 540 |
| 8:30 AM | 8.50 | $170 | 510 |
| 9:00 AM (example) | 8.00 | $160 | 480 |
| 9:30 AM | 7.50 | $150 | 450 |
| 10:00 AM | 7.00 | $140 | 420 |
Time Card: compare input ranges
| Input | Tested from | To | Hours worked: low input | Hours worked: high input | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid break (minutes) | 27 | 33 | 8.05 | 7.95 | 0.10 (1.3%) |
| Hourly rate | $18 | $22 | 8.00 | 8.00 | 0.00 |
Time Card: individual input comparisons
| Input | Value | Hours worked | Pay for the shift | Minutes worked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start time | 8:00 AM | 9.00 | $180 | 540 |
| 8:30 AM | 8.50 | $170 | 510 | |
| 9:00 AM | 8.00 | $160 | 480 | |
| 9:30 AM | 7.50 | $150 | 450 | |
| 10:00 AM | 7.00 | $140 | 420 | |
| End time | 4:30 PM | 7.00 | $140 | 420 |
| 5:00 PM | 7.50 | $150 | 450 | |
| 5:30 PM | 8.00 | $160 | 480 | |
| 6:00 PM | 8.50 | $170 | 510 | |
| 6:30 PM | 9.00 | $180 | 540 | |
| Unpaid break (minutes) | 24 | 8.10 | $162 | 486 |
| 27 | 8.05 | $161 | 483 | |
| 30 | 8.00 | $160 | 480 | |
| 33 | 7.95 | $159 | 477 | |
| 36 | 7.90 | $158 | 474 | |
| Hourly rate | $16 | 8.00 | $128 | 480 |
| $18 | 8.00 | $144 | 480 | |
| $20 | 8.00 | $160 | 480 | |
| $22 | 8.00 | $176 | 480 | |
| $24 | 8.00 | $192 | 480 |
Time Card: combined input changes
| Start time / End time | 4:30 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:30 PM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 8.00 | 9.00 | 10.00 |
| 8:30 AM | 7.50 | 8.50 | 9.50 |
| 9:00 AM | 7.00 | 8.00 | 9.00 |
| 9:30 AM | 6.50 | 7.50 | 8.50 |
| 10:00 AM | 6.00 | 7.00 | 8.00 |
Time Card: which assumptions move the result?
Time Card: values and definitions
| Quantity and definition | Value used |
|---|---|
| Start time | 9:00 AM |
| End time | 5:30 PM |
| Unpaid break (minutes) | 30 |
| Hourly rate | $20 |
| Hours worked | 8.00 |
| Pay for the shift | $160 |
| Minutes worked | 480 |
Time Card: half and double Unpaid break (minutes)
| Unpaid break (minutes) | Hours worked |
|---|---|
| 15 | 8.25 |
| 30 | 8.00 |
| 60 | 7.50 |
Time & Clock calculators: Add Time Calculator, Time Zone Calculator, Military Time Converter Calculator, Hours and Minutes ↔ Decimal Hours Calculator, Sleep Calculator.
A timesheet turns two clock times into a paid number, and the errors sit in the details. A shift from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM spans 8.5 hours on the clock, but a 30 minute unpaid break leaves 8.0 paid hours, which at $20 is $160. The page wraps past midnight for night shifts, so a 10 PM to 6 AM shift counts as eight hours, not a negative number.
An unpaid break reduces paid time; a paid break does not. Some employers count short breaks as paid time and only deduct meal periods.
Convert to decimals on the hours to decimal calculator and back on the decimal to time page, and calculate overtime on the overtime pay and gross pay calculators. The time duration and add time calculators handle other time arithmetic. Keep your own record of hours to check your pay stub.
Time Card Calculator: application examples
Time Duration Calculator
Calculate the hours and minutes between two times of day, including across midnight. Find out how long a shift, a drive or a task ran without doing the subtraction by hand.
Time Duration Calculator: full formula
| Start time | 8:30 AM |
|---|---|
| End time | 4:45 PM |
| Unpaid break (minutes) | 0 |
| Hourly rate | $0.00 |
| Hours between | 8.25 |
| Minutes between | 495 |
The result shows the time between two times of day as hours and minutes and in decimal hours. 8:30 to 16:45 is 8 hours and 15 minutes, or 8.25 hours. Use it for shifts, travel times, study sessions, meetings and cooking schedules.
Copy the decimal version into a spreadsheet or invoice, and subtract breaks separately if they are unpaid.
Enter the start time and the end time of day. The tool computes the elapsed time in hours and minutes and adds 24 hours when the end is earlier than the start, so a period that passes midnight is handled. Use the same clock format for both times.
For durations over 24 hours, use dates as well, on the date difference calculator, since this tool considers only times within a day.
The gap between two times looks like simple subtraction until the range crosses midnight. From 8:30 AM to 4:45 PM the answer is 8 hours and 15 minutes, or 8.25 hours. From 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM the clock numbers say a negative four hours, but the real gap is four hours forward, so the page adds a day whenever the end is earlier than the start.
Use this for spans of less than 24 hours. Two identical times read as no time at all, not as a full day.
Subtracting the hour numbers only. That ignores the minutes and gives 8 hours for a span that is really 8 hours and 15 minutes.
Add time to a clock time on the add time calculator, convert between formats on the hours to decimal and military time pages, and calculate pay on the time card calculator. The time zone calculator shifts times between locations. The sleep calculator relates times to sleep cycles.
How do I calculate time between two clock times?
Subtract the start from the end, borrowing 60 minutes when needed, and add 24 hours if the end is earlier than the start.
Does the calculator handle midnight?
Yes. If the end time is earlier than the start, it assumes the period crosses midnight and adds 24 hours.
How do I convert the result to a decimal?
Divide the minutes by 60 and add them to the hours. 8 hours 15 minutes is 8.25 hours.
Time Duration: changing Start time
| Start time | Hours between | Minutes between | Pay for the shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | 9.25 | 555 | $0.00 |
| 8:00 AM | 8.75 | 525 | $0.00 |
| 8:30 AM (example) | 8.25 | 495 | $0.00 |
| 9:00 AM | 7.75 | 465 | $0.00 |
| 9:30 AM | 7.25 | 435 | $0.00 |
Time Duration: compare input ranges
| Input | Tested from | To | Hours between: low input | Hours between: high input | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid break (minutes) | 0 | 1 | 8.25 | 8.23 | 0.02 (0.2%) |
Time Duration: individual input comparisons
| Input | Value | Hours between | Minutes between | Pay for the shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start time | 7:30 AM | 9.25 | 555 | $0.00 |
| 8:00 AM | 8.75 | 525 | $0.00 | |
| 8:30 AM | 8.25 | 495 | $0.00 | |
| 9:00 AM | 7.75 | 465 | $0.00 | |
| 9:30 AM | 7.25 | 435 | $0.00 | |
| End time | 3:45 PM | 7.25 | 435 | $0.00 |
| 4:15 PM | 7.75 | 465 | $0.00 | |
| 4:45 PM | 8.25 | 495 | $0.00 | |
| 5:15 PM | 8.75 | 525 | $0.00 | |
| 5:45 PM | 9.25 | 555 | $0.00 | |
| Unpaid break (minutes) | 0 | 8.25 | 495 | $0.00 |
| 0 | 8.25 | 495 | $0.00 | |
| 0 | 8.25 | 495 | $0.00 | |
| 1 | 8.23 | 494 | $0.00 | |
| 2 | 8.22 | 493 | $0.00 | |
| Hourly rate | $0.00 | 8.25 | 495 | $0.00 |
| $0.00 | 8.25 | 495 | $0.00 | |
| $0.00 | 8.25 | 495 | $0.00 | |
| $0.00 | 8.25 | 495 | $0.00 | |
| $0.00 | 8.25 | 495 | $0.00 |
Time Duration: combined input changes
| Start time / End time | 3:45 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:45 PM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | 8.25 | 9.25 | 10.25 |
| 8:00 AM | 7.75 | 8.75 | 9.75 |
| 8:30 AM | 7.25 | 8.25 | 9.25 |
| 9:00 AM | 6.75 | 7.75 | 8.75 |
| 9:30 AM | 6.25 | 7.25 | 8.25 |
Time Duration: values and definitions
| Quantity and definition | Value used |
|---|---|
| Start time | 8:30 AM |
| End time | 4:45 PM |
| Unpaid break (minutes) | 0 |
| Hourly rate | $0.00 |
| Hours between | 8.25 |
| Minutes between | 495 |
| Pay for the shift | $0.00 |
The formula for this calculation: Duration = end time − start time, adding 24 hours when the end is earlier than the start
Sleep Calculator Find bedtimes that let you wake at the end of a sleep cycle, from your wake-up time
The calculation treats the two times as being at most 24 hours apart. Daylight saving changes can add or remove an hour on the night they occur, and the tool does not adjust for them. Time zones are not considered unless you convert first, using the time zone calculator.
Do I get paid for unpaid breaks?
No. Unpaid meal breaks are subtracted from hours worked, and short rest breaks are usually paid, though rules differ by state.
Can my employer round my time?
Many employers round to the nearest quarter hour, allowed if the practice does not consistently favor the employer. Local labor rules determine which time and rounding practices are permitted.
How do I calculate hours for a shift past midnight?
Add 24 hours to the end time when it is earlier than the start time. The calculator handles that automatically.