Shift inputs
Enter a start time, end time, and break deduction for the worked-time total.
Calculation options
Adjust decimal display and optional rounding without changing the entered shift times.
Work Hours Calculator
Calculate paid work time from start and end times, subtract breaks, support overnight shifts, and copy planning-friendly totals.
How work hours are calculated
The calculator measures the time from start to end, treats an earlier end time as the following day, subtracts the unpaid break, and then applies the selected nearest-minute rounding increment.
For example, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM with a 30-minute break is 7 hours 30 minutes, or 7.50 decimal hours, when rounding is set to none.
Calculation boundaries
Results are practical time calculations based on the entered shift, break, and optional rounding rule. The page supports an overnight end time and nearest-increment rounding when selected, but it does not calculate overtime. It is not payroll, tax, employment-law, or recordkeeping advice.
Related workday calculator
If you need to count weekdays between two calendar dates instead of clock time within one shift, use the business days calculator. It excludes Saturdays and Sundays by default and keeps holiday, payroll, HR, and policy decisions outside the result. For multiple clock-in and clock-out rows with breaks, use the time card calculator. For a fixed Monday-through-Sunday row layout, use the weekly timesheet calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Work Hours Calculator calculate?
It finds one shift's elapsed time, subtracts the entered unpaid break, and shows paid time as hours and minutes plus decimal hours.
Can a shift cross midnight?
Yes. When the end time is earlier than the start time, the calculator treats the end as occurring on the following day and labels the shift overnight.
How are breaks deducted?
Break minutes are subtracted from the full shift before rounding. A break longer than the shift produces an error and no paid-time result.
How does rounding work?
No rounding is the default. When selected, paid minutes after the break are rounded to the nearest 5, 10, or 15 minutes.
What are decimal hours?
Decimal hours are paid minutes divided by 60. For example, 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.5 decimal hours; display precision does not change the underlying minutes.
Does this calculate overtime or payroll?
No. It applies no overtime threshold, wage rule, tax rule, or employment policy and is not payroll, legal, or official recordkeeping advice.
What do the Now buttons use?
Now fills a field from the device's current local clock. It is an input convenience, not a verified attendance record.
What can I copy?
You can copy paid time alone or a summary with the shift length, break minutes, and overnight status when applicable.