Hours Calculator
Calculate the exact time duration between two points
Calculation Result:
Total Duration:
Decimal Hours: hours
Total Minutes: minutes
Please enter both a start and end time.
How to Calculate Hours Between Two Times
Whether you are tracking work hours for payroll, managing a study schedule, or timing a long-distance trip, knowing how to calculate the duration between two times is a fundamental skill. This calculator automates the process, accounting for breaks and even overnight shifts.
The Manual Calculation Formula
To calculate hours manually, follow these steps:
- Convert both times to 24-hour format: For example, 2:00 PM becomes 14:00.
- Convert to total minutes: Multiply the hours by 60 and add the remaining minutes.
- Subtract: Subtract the start minutes from the end minutes.
- Adjust for cross-midnight: If the result is negative, add 1,440 minutes (the number of minutes in a full day).
- Subtract breaks: Deduct any unpaid break time.
- Convert back: Divide by 60 to get decimal hours, or find the quotient and remainder for hours and minutes.
Real-World Example
Imagine you start working at 8:45 AM and finish at 5:15 PM, with a 45-minute lunch break.
- Start Time: 8:45 (525 minutes from midnight)
- End Time: 17:15 (1,035 minutes from midnight)
- Difference: 1,035 – 525 = 510 minutes
- Subtract Break: 510 – 45 = 465 minutes
- Final Result: 7 hours and 45 minutes (or 7.75 decimal hours).
Why Decimal Hours Matter
Payroll systems often require decimal hours rather than hours and minutes. For instance, if you worked 8 hours and 30 minutes, you wouldn't input "8.30" into a payroll system; you would input "8.5" because 30 minutes is half (0.5) of an hour.