Hours Calculator – Work Time With Breaks
Calculate hours worked between two times
What this tool does. The Hours Calculator quickly shows how many hours and minutes you’ve worked between two times, minus unpaid breaks. Enter your start time, your end time, add any breaks in minutes, and the result appears in clean HH:MM format that drops straight into a timesheet or invoice — for example, 8:00 for an eight-hour shift.
How it works. The calculator converts your start time and end time into minutes, handles shifts that cross midnight, and subtracts the total of any break entries you add. Breaks are entered as minutes only (like 30, 45, 60). If your breaks accidentally add up to more than the total time between start and end, you’ll see an error instead of a nonsense negative result, so you can fix it before relying on the numbers.
Straight-line result. The answer box is designed to behave like your other tools: one bold line with your net time in HH:MM, followed by a compact breakdown that shows start time, end time, gross duration, total break minutes, and the net time. Everything is on a single, easy-to-copy line so you can paste it into spreadsheets, payroll systems, or reports without extra formatting.
Typical use cases. Use this Hours Calculator for daily shifts, freelance sessions, support coverage windows, split shifts with multiple breaks, or any situation where you just need “how long was I actually working?” in hours and minutes. Because breaks are manual entries, it works with any pattern — one long lunch, three short pauses, or no break at all.
Step-by-step. Set your Start time (for example, 09:00), then your End time (for example, 17:30). Click Add break to insert a small box for a break in minutes; click it again to add more if needed. When you’re ready, hit Calculate hours or press Enter. The calculator updates instantly. To try a different shift, either edit the existing values or use Reset to clear everything and start fresh.
Connected tools. To add a fixed number of hours to a time, jump to the Add Hours Calculator. To work directly in smaller units, use the Add Minutes Calculator. If you need decimal hours for payroll (like 7.75 instead of 7:45), pair this page with your Time to Decimal Calculator for a seamless workflow.
Accuracy & privacy. All calculations are done locally in your browser using simple minute-based math. Shifts that pass midnight are supported by treating the end time as the next day when it’s earlier than the start time. No times or results are sent anywhere, so you can safely use this tool for real-world work data.
FAQs
Does it support overnight shifts?
Yes. If your end time is earlier than your start time (for example, 22:00 to 06:00), the calculator assumes the shift ends the next day.
Can I add multiple breaks?
Yes. Use the “Add break” button to add as many break rows as you need. All break minutes are summed and subtracted from the total.
What format is the result in?
The main result is shown in HH:MM format (e.g. 8:00, 7:30, 4:45) so it’s easy to read and record.
What if I type the breaks wrong?
If total breaks are greater than the time between start and end, you’ll see an error prompt so you can correct the inputs.