How to calculate work hours
For each day: hours = (clock-out − clock-in) − break. If your clock-out time is earlier than your clock-in (a night shift crossing midnight), add 24 hours so the maths works out. Add up every day for your weekly total, and multiply by your hourly rate for your pay.
Decimal hours vs hours & minutes
Payroll usually uses decimal hours: 8 hours 30 minutes is 8.5 hours, not 8.30. To convert minutes to decimal, divide by 60 (30 ÷ 60 = 0.5). This calculator shows both so you can copy whichever your timesheet needs.
Minutes to decimal hours (payroll conversion chart)
Payroll systems need decimal hours, but clocks give hours and minutes. Find the minutes past the hour and add the decimal to your whole hours — 7 h 45 min = 7.75 hours. The formula is simply minutes ÷ 60.
| Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|
| 1 min | 0.02 h |
| 2 min | 0.03 h |
| 3 min | 0.05 h |
| 4 min | 0.07 h |
| 5 min | 0.08 h |
| 6 min | 0.10 h |
| 7 min | 0.12 h |
| 8 min | 0.13 h |
| 9 min | 0.15 h |
| 10 min | 0.17 h |
| 11 min | 0.18 h |
| 12 min | 0.20 h |
| 13 min | 0.22 h |
| 14 min | 0.23 h |
| 15 min | 0.25 h |
| Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|
| 16 min | 0.27 h |
| 17 min | 0.28 h |
| 18 min | 0.30 h |
| 19 min | 0.32 h |
| 20 min | 0.33 h |
| 21 min | 0.35 h |
| 22 min | 0.37 h |
| 23 min | 0.38 h |
| 24 min | 0.40 h |
| 25 min | 0.42 h |
| 26 min | 0.43 h |
| 27 min | 0.45 h |
| 28 min | 0.47 h |
| 29 min | 0.48 h |
| 30 min | 0.50 h |
| Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|
| 31 min | 0.52 h |
| 32 min | 0.53 h |
| 33 min | 0.55 h |
| 34 min | 0.57 h |
| 35 min | 0.58 h |
| 36 min | 0.60 h |
| 37 min | 0.62 h |
| 38 min | 0.63 h |
| 39 min | 0.65 h |
| 40 min | 0.67 h |
| 41 min | 0.68 h |
| 42 min | 0.70 h |
| 43 min | 0.72 h |
| 44 min | 0.73 h |
| 45 min | 0.75 h |
| Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|
| 46 min | 0.77 h |
| 47 min | 0.78 h |
| 48 min | 0.80 h |
| 49 min | 0.82 h |
| 50 min | 0.83 h |
| 51 min | 0.85 h |
| 52 min | 0.87 h |
| 53 min | 0.88 h |
| 54 min | 0.90 h |
| 55 min | 0.92 h |
| 56 min | 0.93 h |
| 57 min | 0.95 h |
| 58 min | 0.97 h |
| 59 min | 0.98 h |
| 60 min | 1.00 h |
Tips for accurate timesheets
- Deduct unpaid breaks (lunch) but not paid short breaks — check your employer's policy.
- Round consistently if your workplace rounds to the nearest 15 minutes.
- Overtime often pays 1.5× past 40 hours a week — check whether your total crosses that line.
How do I convert minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60. 15 minutes is 0.25 hours, 30 is 0.5, 45 is 0.75. Add that to the whole hours: 8 hours 15 minutes is 8.25 hours.
What is 7 hours 45 minutes in decimal?
7.75 hours — 45 ÷ 60 = 0.75. Watch out for the common mistake of writing it as 7.45, which would underpay you by 18 minutes.
What is 8 hours 20 minutes as a decimal?
8.33 hours (20 ÷ 60 = 0.333…). Most payroll systems round to two decimals.
How many hours a year is 40 hours a week?
40 × 52 = 2,080 hours a year, or about 173.3 hours a month. That's the standard figure used to convert between hourly pay and annual salary — try the salary to hourly calculator.
Does it handle night shifts past midnight?
Yes — if clock-out is earlier than clock-in, it assumes the shift ran overnight and adds the day automatically.
Is my pay before or after tax?
Before tax (gross). For take-home, see the salary calculator or your local tax calculator.
How do I add overtime at 1.5×?
This shows straight-time hours. If you cross 40 hours, multiply the extra hours by 1.5× your rate for the overtime portion.