How to calculate the duration between two times
To find how long something lasted, subtract the start time from the end time. The tricky parts are minutes (which are base-60, not base-100) and periods that cross midnight. This calculator handles both — enter a start and end and it returns the gap in hours and minutes, plus the decimal-hour and total-minute forms you need for pay and logs.
Working across midnight
If your end time is earlier in the day than your start time and you haven't entered dates, the calculator assumes you crossed midnight and adds a day. So 22:00 to 06:00 correctly returns 8 hours, not a negative number. For gaps longer than a day, add the start and end dates and it counts the full days, hours and minutes between them.
Decimal hours vs hours and minutes
Payroll and timesheets usually use decimal hours: 30 minutes is 0.5 h, 15 minutes is 0.25 h, 45 minutes is 0.75 h. To convert minutes to decimal hours, divide by 60. This calculator shows both formats so you can copy whichever your system needs.
Hours between common times
Durations for typical shifts and working days, before any unpaid break is taken off. Shifts that end the next morning are counted across midnight.
| Start – end | Duration | Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 – 14:00 Early shift | 8 h | 480 min | 8.00 h |
| 07:00 – 15:30 | 8 h 30 min | 510 min | 8.50 h |
| 07:00 – 19:00 12-hour day shift | 12 h | 720 min | 12.00 h |
| 07:30 – 16:00 | 8 h 30 min | 510 min | 8.50 h |
| 08:00 – 16:00 | 8 h | 480 min | 8.00 h |
| 08:00 – 17:00 | 9 h | 540 min | 9.00 h |
| 08:30 – 17:00 | 8 h 30 min | 510 min | 8.50 h |
| 08:30 – 17:30 | 9 h | 540 min | 9.00 h |
| 09:00 – 17:00 Classic 9 to 5 | 8 h | 480 min | 8.00 h |
| 09:00 – 17:30 | 8 h 30 min | 510 min | 8.50 h |
| 09:00 – 18:00 | 9 h | 540 min | 9.00 h |
| 10:00 – 18:00 | 8 h | 480 min | 8.00 h |
| 12:00 – 20:00 | 8 h | 480 min | 8.00 h |
| 14:00 – 22:00 Late shift | 8 h | 480 min | 8.00 h |
| 15:00 – 23:00 | 8 h | 480 min | 8.00 h |
| 19:00 – 07:00 12-hour night shift | 12 h | 720 min | 12.00 h |
| 22:00 – 06:00 Night shift | 8 h | 480 min | 8.00 h |
| 23:00 – 07:00 Night shift | 8 h | 480 min | 8.00 h |
Hours to minutes
Multiply hours by 60, then add any leftover minutes: 2 h 30 min is 2 × 60 + 30 = 150 minutes.
| Duration | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 30 min | 30 min |
| 1 h | 60 min |
| 1 h 30 min | 90 min |
| 2 h | 120 min |
| 2 h 30 min | 150 min |
| 3 h | 180 min |
| 3 h 30 min | 210 min |
| 4 h | 240 min |
| 4 h 30 min | 270 min |
| 5 h | 300 min |
| 5 h 30 min | 330 min |
| 6 h | 360 min |
| Duration | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 6 h 30 min | 390 min |
| 7 h | 420 min |
| 7 h 30 min | 450 min |
| 8 h | 480 min |
| 8 h 30 min | 510 min |
| 9 h | 540 min |
| 9 h 30 min | 570 min |
| 10 h | 600 min |
| 10 h 30 min | 630 min |
| 11 h | 660 min |
| 11 h 30 min | 690 min |
| 12 h | 720 min |
Common examples
- 9 to 5 = 8 hours = 480 minutes = 8.00 decimal hours.
- 9:00 to 17:30 = 8 hours 30 minutes = 8.50 decimal hours.
- 23:00 to 07:00 (night shift) = 8 hours across midnight.
How many hours is 8:30 to 5?
8:30 am to 5:00 pm is 8 hours 30 minutes — 510 minutes, or 8.50 decimal hours. Take off a 30-minute unpaid lunch and it's 8 hours of paid time.
How many hours is a 7 to 7 shift?
12 hours — 720 minutes — whether it's 7 am to 7 pm or an overnight 7 pm to 7 am shift. The calculator handles the overnight version automatically.
How do I convert hours and minutes to minutes?
Multiply the hours by 60 and add the minutes. 3 hours 45 minutes is 3 × 60 + 45 = 225 minutes. The table above covers every half hour up to 12 hours.
How do I calculate the number of hours between two times?
Subtract the start time from the end time. For 9:00 to 17:00 that's 8 hours. When minutes are involved, convert both times to total minutes, subtract, then divide by 60 for hours. Enter the two times above and the calculator does it instantly, including the decimal-hour form.
How many hours is 9 to 5?
9:00 to 17:00 is exactly 8 hours, or 480 minutes, or 8.00 decimal hours. That's the classic full-time workday before any unpaid break is deducted.
How do I calculate hours across midnight?
When the end time is earlier than the start (like a 22:00–06:00 night shift), add 24 hours to the end before subtracting — that gives 8 hours. This calculator does it automatically when you leave the dates blank, so overnight shifts come out correctly.
What is 8 hours in minutes?
8 hours is 480 minutes (8 × 60). In decimal-hour form it's simply 8.00. You can check any duration in the conversion reference table above.
How do I turn minutes into decimal hours for a timesheet?
Divide the minutes by 60. So 15 minutes = 0.25, 30 = 0.50, 45 = 0.75. The calculator shows decimal hours next to the hours-and-minutes result — multiply that figure by your hourly rate to get pay. For a full timesheet, try the work hours calculator.