Shift Hours Calculator

How To Calculate The Time Between Two Times

To find the length of a shift, subtract the start time from the end time. If the shift is within one day, that is all. A shift from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM is 8 hours 30 minutes.

Then take off any unpaid break. With a 30 minute break, that day is 8:00 paid. Over five days it is 40:00, which at $20.00 an hour pays $800.00.

The calculator does all of this as you type. It accepts times like 8:30a, 8:30 AM, 17:30 and 1730, so you can copy a schedule as it is written.

Shifts That Go Past Midnight

When the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift runs past midnight. From 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM, the clock passes midnight, so the shift is 8 h 30 m long. After a 30 minute break it is 8 h.

A simple way to check by hand is to add 24 hours to the end time. 6:30 AM becomes 30:30, and 30:30 minus 22:00 is 8:30.

A shift that starts and ends at the same time, such as 8:00 AM to 8:00 AM, is read as a full 24 hours.

Hours For Common Shifts

This table shows how long some familiar shifts are, with the usual unpaid break. The paid time is what is left after the break.

The break is unpaid. If your break is paid, leave it at none.

Weekly And Yearly Totals

A shift is rarely worked once. Set the days a week and the calculator multiplies the paid time. Three 12 hour shifts a week, from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM with a 30 minute break, come to 34:30. Five of the 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM nights come to 40:00.

Add your hourly rate to see weekly pay. The five night shifts at $20.00 an hour pay $800.00 a week. Over a year of 52 such weeks, that is about $41,600.00 before tax.

Weekly overtime follows the US federal rule, which is overtime after 40 hours. For other rules, use the overtime calculator, where you can choose a state.

For state rules, use the overtime calculator.

Decimal Hours For Payroll

Payroll often wants the shift in decimal hours. 8:00 is 8.00, because 30 minutes is half an hour. The calculator shows the decimal for the paid time of one shift.

To convert by hand, divide the minutes by 60. 45 minutes is 0.75 and 20 minutes is 0.33.

To convert any time, use the decimal hours converter.

Common Mistakes

The most common mistake is the AM and PM. 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM is 12 hours, but 5:00 PM to 5:00 AM is also 12 hours, so check both times.

The second is a break that is not taken off. Many shifts are listed from start to finish, and the unpaid lunch is only noted in a policy. If you are paid for time worked, take the lunch off.

The third is forgetting that a night shift belongs to two calendar days. It counts as one shift, and the calculator treats it that way.

12 Hour Shift Pay Calculator

A 12 hour shift with a 30 minute unpaid break pays for 11.5 hours. Multiply the paid hours by the hourly rate. Overtime rules can add to this over a full week.

Before overtime and tax.

How To Use The Calculator

1. Type the start time and the end time.
2. Choose your unpaid break, or none.
3. Pick how many days a week you work.
4. Add an hourly rate if you want pay.
5. Read the hours for one day, for the week, and the pay. The sentence at the bottom explains how they were worked out.

To keep a record of real days, use the time card calculator.

Questions People Ask