Work Hours Calculator

Enter your start and end times in HH:MM format, then input your unpaid break duration in minutes. The calculator subtracts break time from the total elapsed time: total hours = (end time - start time) - break hours. Example: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM with 30 minutes break = 8.5h - 0.5h = 8 hours worked. For overnight shifts, the tool automatically handles midnight-crossing (11 PM to 7 AM = 8 hours).

Hours:minutes format (7h 30min) represents time as most people think of it. Decimal hours (7.5) converts minutes to fractions of an hour — 15 min = 0.25h, 30 min = 0.5h, 45 min = 0.75h. Payroll software, billing systems, and invoice tools almost always use decimal hours. The calculator shows both formats — use decimal hours for payroll input and payment calculations.

The calculator identifies hours beyond 8 in a single workday as overtime (1.5× rate). Example: 9 hours worked = 8 regular + 1 overtime. Overtime pay = 1 × (hourly rate × 1.5). The 8-hour threshold is the standard daily rule; federal FLSA actually uses 40 hours per workweek as the threshold. California, Colorado, and Alaska use daily overtime rules, which this tool reflects with daily calculations. Check your state labor laws for specifics.

Yes, automatically. If your end time is earlier in the day than your start time (e.g., Start: 23:00, End: 07:00), the calculator detects the midnight crossing and calculates correctly: 8 hours total. Simply enter your actual start and end times in 24-hour or 12-hour format — the tool handles the math. This works for any overnight shift regardless of duration.

Deducted — but only unpaid breaks. Under US law: meal breaks of 30+ minutes where you're fully relieved of duties are unpaid and should be subtracted (enter them in the Break Duration field). Short rest breaks under 20 minutes are typically paid and should NOT be entered as breaks — they're already counted in your work time. Only enter unpaid meal break duration in the break field.

Enter your session start and end times and any non-billable break time. The total hours worked is your billable time. Enter your hourly rate in the rate field to calculate the invoice amount automatically. For invoices, round to the nearest 0.25 hours (15-minute increments) — standard practice in consulting and legal billing. Keep a log of each session for client transparency and dispute resolution.

Yes — calculate each day separately, then sum the daily hours. The tool shows a 5-day weekly projection at the bottom based on repeating your current shift, but for accurate weekly totals, calculate each day individually and add the results. Track running weekly totals: if you've worked 34 hours Monday-Thursday and plan a Friday shift, you know your Friday overtime starts after 6 hours (to reach 40 total).

Forgetting to subtract unpaid breaks. An 8-hour shift with a 30-minute unpaid lunch is 7.5 billable/payable hours, not 8. Many workers enter clock-in to clock-out without deducting lunch, overstating hours worked. Always enter only your actual unpaid break duration. The second most common error is confusing hours:minutes with decimal hours — entering 7:45 as 7.45 decimal instead of 7.75 decimal.

A standard full-time US work year is 2,080 hours (52 weeks × 40 hours/week). Accounting for 10 federal holidays and 10 vacation days (industry average): 2,080 - 160 = 1,920 productive hours/year. This forms the basis for: annual salary conversion (annual ÷ 2,080 = hourly rate), hourly-to-salary comparisons, and estimating annual output. The weekly projection in this calculator helps you estimate your annualized hours based on your current schedule.

Divide your target annual salary by 2,080 (standard working hours per year). Example: $60,000 ÷ 2,080 = $28.85/hour. If you want to account for benefits/employer costs (typically 25-35% above salary), multiply: $60,000 × 1.30 = $78,000 total cost ÷ 2,080 = $37.50/hour total employer cost. For freelancers/contractors, factor in self-employment tax (~15.3%) and benefits to calculate your equivalent rate.