DateDelta

Hours Worked Calculator

The exact decimal hours worked in a single shift, after subtracting your break.

Clock-in hour (0–23)

Clock-in minute

Clock-out hour (0–23)

Clock-out minute

Break minutes

Hours worked

Break time is subtracted from the total time on the clock.

What you entered

Clock-in hour (0–23): 9Clock-in minute: 0Clock-out hour (0–23): 17Clock-out minute: 30Break minutes: 30

1
Time on the clock (gross)
17:30 − 09:00= 510 minutes
2
Subtract break time
510 − 30= 480 minutes
3
Convert to decimal hours
480 ÷ 60= 8 hours

Result

Hours worked: 8

After a 30-minute break, you worked 8 hours.

Hours worked for common shift patterns after an unpaid break

Each row takes a clock-in and clock-out time, subtracts the unpaid break, and gives the result in the decimal hours payroll systems use plus the equivalent hours and minutes. The last row crosses midnight, which the calculator handles by rolling the clock-out into the next day.

Clock in	Clock out	Unpaid break (min)	Hours worked (decimal)	Hours worked (h:min)
8:00 AM	12:00 PM	0	4.00	4 h 0 min
9:00 AM	3:00 PM	30	5.50	5 h 30 min
9:00 AM	5:00 PM	60	7.00	7 h 0 min
9:00 AM	5:00 PM	30	7.50	7 h 30 min
10:00 AM	6:30 PM	45	7.75	7 h 45 min
8:15 AM	4:45 PM	30	8.00	8 h 0 min
7:00 AM	4:00 PM	30	8.50	8 h 30 min
6:00 AM	6:00 PM	60	11.00	11 h 0 min
7:00 PM	7:00 AM	30	11.50	11 h 30 min

The calculator takes times in 24-hour form, so 9:00 AM is hour 9 minute 0 and 6:30 PM is hour 18 minute 30. Only subtract breaks your employer treats as unpaid; short rest breaks of 5 to 20 minutes are paid time under US federal rules and many state rules, so they should not be deducted here. These figures are illustrative and are not a substitute for your employer's official timekeeping record.

Unpaid vs. paid breaks

Only subtract breaks that are actually unpaid under your employer's policy — many short breaks (5-15 minutes) are legally required to be paid in some jurisdictions and shouldn't be deducted from hours worked.

Decimal hours for payroll

The result is in decimal hours (like 7.5), which is the format most payroll and timesheet systems expect — see the Decimal Time Calculator if you need to convert between decimal hours and HH:MM:SS.

Frequently asked questions

I clocked in at 8:15 AM, clocked out at 4:45 PM, and took a 30-minute unpaid lunch — how many hours did I work?

Clock-in to clock-out is 8 h 30 min (8.5 decimal hours). Subtract the 0.5-hour break: 8.5 − 0.5 = 8.0 hours worked. That's the number you'd enter on a timesheet or use for pay calculations.

How is this different from the Time Duration Calculator?

The Time Duration Calculator gives you raw elapsed time between two times with no break deduction. This one also subtracts unpaid break minutes and gives the result in decimal hours, which is the format payroll systems expect.

What are decimal hours and why does payroll use them?

Decimal hours express time as a single number: 7 hours 45 minutes = 7.75 hours. Payroll systems multiply hours × rate, so 7.75 × $20/hr = $155.00. The HH:MM format requires an extra conversion step, which is why most timekeeping software uses decimals.