This hours calculator tells you exactly how many hours you worked between clocking in and clocking out, with unpaid break time subtracted automatically. Type times the way you say them — "9:00 AM", "09:00", or 24-hour "21:30" all parse — and overnight shifts that cross midnight are handled correctly.
Beyond the daily total, the calculator converts the result to the decimal hours payroll systems use, projects a weekly total assuming five identical days, and, if you enter an hourly rate, estimates gross pay for the day and week. It is the quickest way to sanity-check a paycheck or plan a schedule.
How Hours Worked Are Calculated
The formula is straightforward once times are converted to minutes since midnight:
hours worked = (time out − time in − unpaid break) ÷ 60
A 9:00 AM clock-in is minute 540 and a 5:00 PM clock-out is minute 1,020, so the shift spans 480 minutes. Subtract a 30-minute unpaid lunch and you worked 450 minutes — 7 hours 30 minutes, or 7.5 decimal hours.
When the clock-out time is earlier than the clock-in time, the calculator adds 24 hours, treating the shift as overnight: 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM with a 30-minute break is 8 hours. Note that a single in/out pair caps at 24 hours; use the time card calculator for a full multi-day week.
Breaks, Rounding, and Pay Rules to Know
A few U.S. rules worth knowing when tallying work hours:
- Short breaks of 5–20 minutes are generally counted as paid time under federal law; bona fide meal periods of 30+ minutes may be unpaid — only enter unpaid time in the break field
- Employers may round punches to the nearest quarter hour (the "7-minute rule": 7:53–8:07 becomes 8:00), but rounding must not consistently favor the employer
- Non-exempt employees earn overtime at 1.5× the regular rate past 40 hours per workweek under the FLSA
- Standard full-time is 2,080 hours per year (40 × 52), a handy factor for converting hourly wages to salaries
If your week is not five identical days, total each day separately and add them.
Example: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at $22/hour
Using the defaults: time in 9:00 AM, time out 5:00 PM, 30-minute unpaid lunch. The raw span is 8 hours (480 minutes); subtracting the break leaves 7 hours 30 minutes, which is 7.50 decimal hours.
Over a five-day week that is 37.5 hours — under the 40-hour overtime threshold, which is exactly why the 30-minute lunch schedule is so common.
Add a $22.00 hourly rate: daily gross pay is 7.5 × $22 = $165.00, and the weekly projection is $825.00 before taxes. If the same worker skipped lunch legally and worked 8-hour days, the week would be 40 hours and $880.00 — the half-hour daily difference is worth $55 a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate hours worked?
Subtract your clock-in time from your clock-out time, then subtract unpaid breaks. Convert times to minutes since midnight to avoid AM/PM mistakes: an 8:30 AM to 4:45 PM day is 990 − 510 = 480 minutes; minus a 30-minute lunch, 450 minutes, or 7.5 hours.
How many hours is 9 to 5 with a 30-minute lunch?
The span from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM is 8 hours; an unpaid 30-minute lunch leaves 7.5 paid hours. Over five days that is 37.5 hours per week. A 9:00-to-5:30 schedule with the same lunch yields a full 40-hour week.
Do breaks count as hours worked?
Under U.S. federal rules, short rest breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes count as paid working time. Bona fide meal periods, typically 30 minutes or more where you are fully relieved of duties, may be unpaid. Enter only unpaid break minutes in this calculator so paid rest breaks stay in your total.
How do I calculate my pay from hours worked?
Multiply decimal hours by your hourly rate: 7.5 hours at $22 is $165 gross. Use decimal hours, not the minutes figure — 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75 hours, not 7.45. For weeks over 40 hours, non-exempt workers earn 1.5× the rate on the overtime hours.
How does the calculator handle overnight shifts?
If your time out is earlier than your time in, the calculator assumes you clocked out the next day and adds 24 hours. So 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM equals 8 hours. Each entry covers a single shift of up to 24 hours; for a whole week of shifts, use the time card calculator.