How to use this calculator
- For each day you worked, enter a start time and an end time. Monday to Friday are filled in with a typical 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM day; change them to match your week.
- Enter any unpaid break in minutes, such as a lunch break. Leave paid breaks out.
- Clear both times for any day you didn’t work. Wednesday to Sunday are grouped together so you can fold them away.
- Enter your hourly rate to see your pay. Leave it at 0 to total hours only.
- Adjust the overtime threshold (40 hours a week by default) and the multiplier (1.5 for time and a half) if your job uses different rules.
The result shows your total in hours and minutes and as a decimal, split into regular and overtime hours, with your gross pay and a day-by-day table you can download as a CSV file.
How the hours are calculated
Each day’s paid time is the difference between the end and start times, minus the unpaid break:
If the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift crossed midnight, so 24 hours are added to the end time first. For example, 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM is 8 hours 30 minutes, and with a 30-minute break that’s 8 hours paid.
Overtime is the part of the weekly total above the threshold, and gross pay adds the two parts together:
Worked example
Say you work 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday, with a 30-minute unpaid lunch, at $22 an hour.
- Each day: 9 hours 30 minutes on site, minus 30 minutes = 9:00 hours.
- Week: 5 × 9 = 45:00 hours.
- Overtime: 45 − 40 = 5 hours.
- Regular pay: 40 × $22 = $880.00.
- Overtime pay: 5 × $22 × 1.5 = $165.00.
- Gross pay: $1,045.00 before taxes.
The default week of five 9:00 to 5:00 days with a 30-minute lunch comes to 37:30, or 37.5 hours, which at $25 an hour is $937.50 with no overtime.
Minutes to decimal hours
Timesheets show hours and minutes, but payroll uses decimal hours. To convert, divide the minutes by 60:
| Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|
| 5 | 0.08 |
| 6 | 0.10 |
| 10 | 0.17 |
| 12 | 0.20 |
| 15 | 0.25 |
| 20 | 0.33 |
| 30 | 0.50 |
| 40 | 0.67 |
| 45 | 0.75 |
| 50 | 0.83 |
So 37 hours 30 minutes is 37.5 hours, not 37.3. Mixing the two up is one of the most common timesheet mistakes. Some employers round punches to the nearest 5, 6 or 15 minutes; this calculator uses the exact minutes you enter.
Overtime rules to know
- Federal rule. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires at least 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek for non-exempt employees. A workweek is any fixed, recurring period of seven consecutive days; it doesn’t have to start on Monday.
- No daily overtime under federal law. A 10-hour day doesn’t trigger federal overtime if the week stays at or under 40 hours.
- States can require more. In California, for example, hours over 8 in a workday and over 40 in a workweek are paid at 1.5 times, and hours over 12 in a workday at double time. This calculator applies a weekly threshold only, so check your state’s rules if you work long days.
- Exempt employees. Many salaried professional, administrative and executive employees are exempt from overtime. If that’s you, set the multiplier to 1.
Breaks: paid or unpaid?
The U.S. Department of Labor says short rest periods, usually 20 minutes or less, are hours worked and must be paid. Bona fide meal periods, typically 30 minutes or more, generally don’t need to be paid as long as you are completely relieved from duty. Federal law doesn’t require employers to give breaks at all, but some states do. Enter only the unpaid time in the break field.
Turning hours into take-home pay
The gross pay figure here is before any deductions. To estimate what lands in your bank account after federal and state income tax, Social Security and Medicare, use the paycheck calculator. To compare an hourly rate with an annual salary, try the salary calculator. If you need the number of working days in a pay period, the date calculator counts business days.
Assumptions and limitations
- Each shift is assumed to be less than 24 hours long. Equal start and end times count as 0 hours.
- Overtime is calculated on the weekly total only, at one rate. Daily overtime, double time and seventh-day rules aren’t applied.
- Pay is based on a single hourly rate. Shift differentials, tips, bonuses and commissions can change the regular rate used for overtime.
- Results are gross pay before taxes and deductions.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor: Overtime Pay
- U.S. Department of Labor: Fact Sheet #22, Hours Worked Under the FLSA
- U.S. Department of Labor: Breaks and Meal Periods
- California Department of Industrial Relations: Overtime FAQ
This calculator gives an estimate for general information. Your employer’s payroll records and your state’s labor laws determine what you’re actually owed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hours worked?
For each day, subtract the start time from the end time and take off any unpaid break. Add the days together for the week. A 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM shift with a 30-minute unpaid lunch is 7 hours 30 minutes, or 7.5 hours, and five of those make 37.5 hours.
How do I convert minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60. Fifteen minutes is 0.25 hours, 30 minutes is 0.5 and 45 minutes is 0.75. So 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75 hours. Payroll systems usually multiply your rate by decimal hours, not by hours and minutes.
How do I calculate hours for an overnight shift?
When the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift ends the next day, so add 24 hours to the end time before subtracting. A 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM shift is 8.5 hours; with a 30-minute unpaid break it's 8 paid hours. The calculator does this automatically.
When does overtime start?
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Some states go further. California, for example, also requires overtime for hours over 8 in a single workday.
Are breaks paid?
Under federal rules, short rest breaks (usually 20 minutes or less) count as hours worked and must be paid. Bona fide meal periods, typically 30 minutes or more, don't have to be paid if you're fully relieved of duty. Only enter unpaid breaks in the break field.
How is overtime pay calculated?
Multiply your overtime hours by your hourly rate and by 1.5. At $22 an hour, a 45-hour week pays 40 × $22 = $880 in regular pay plus 5 × $22 × 1.5 = $165 in overtime, for $1,045 before taxes.
Updated November 2026. Results are estimates for educational purposes and depend on the inputs you provide.