On this page
Formula
Daily minutes = End − Start (+ 1,440 if the shift ends the next day) − Break; Weekly hours = Σ daily minutes ÷ 60; Pay = Regular hours × Rate + Overtime hours × Rate × 1.5
- End, Start
- clock times converted to minutes after midnight
- Break
- unpaid break minutes for that day
- Overtime hours
- hours worked above 40 in the week (0 if overtime is switched off)
- Rate
- your regular hourly rate
What the time card calculator does
Enter a start time, end time and unpaid break for each day you worked, up to seven days. The time card calculator returns:
- Total hours for the week in hours and minutes (h:mm), such as 41:50.
- Decimal hours, the format most payroll systems use, such as 41.83.
- Regular and overtime hours, splitting anything over 40 hours into overtime.
- Gross pay, if you enter an hourly rate, with overtime paid at 1.5 times the rate.
- A day-by-day table showing each shift, its break and its hours in both formats.
For a single shift, the hours calculator is quicker. If you only need the overtime pay figure, try the overtime pay calculator.
How to calculate time card hours manually
Here is a five-day week, with an hourly rate of $19:
| Day | In | Out | Unpaid break | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 8:30 | 17:15 | 45 min | 8:00 |
| Tuesday | 9:00 | 18:20 | 30 min | 8:50 |
| Wednesday | 7:45 | 16:00 | 30 min | 7:45 |
| Thursday | 8:00 | 17:40 | 30 min | 9:10 |
| Friday | 6:00 | 14:35 | 30 min | 8:05 |
- For each day, subtract in from out. Monday: 17:15 − 8:30 = 8 hours 45 minutes.
- Subtract the break: 8:45 − 0:45 = 8:00.
- Add the days: 8:00 + 8:50 + 7:45 + 9:10 + 8:05. The hours add to 40 and the minutes to 110, which is 1 hour 50 minutes, so the week is 41:50.
- Convert to decimal: 41 + 50 ÷ 60 = 41.83 hours.
- Overtime: 41:50 − 40:00 = 1:50, or 110 minutes.
- Pay: 40 × $19 = $760.00, plus (110 ÷ 60) × $19 × 1.5 = $52.25, for $812.25 gross.
The most common slip is step 4: treating 41:50 as 41.50 would underpay by 20 minutes.
Minutes to decimal hours
| Minutes | Decimal | Minutes | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0.08 | 35 | 0.58 |
| 10 | 0.17 | 40 | 0.67 |
| 15 | 0.25 | 45 | 0.75 |
| 20 | 0.33 | 50 | 0.83 |
| 25 | 0.42 | 55 | 0.92 |
| 30 | 0.50 | 60 | 1.00 |
Each value is minutes ÷ 60, rounded to 2 decimal places. The calculator adds exact minutes first and rounds only the final total, which avoids small rounding errors building up across a week.
Time card calculator with lunch and breaks
Enter breaks in minutes for each day. Only unpaid time belongs here. Under Department of Labor guidance, short rest breaks of about 20 minutes or less are usually paid work time, while a bona fide meal period, typically 30 minutes or more with the employee fully relieved of duty, can be unpaid. If you are expected to answer phones or watch a machine while you eat, that time generally counts as work.
Night shifts and overtime
Overnight shifts need no special handling: 22:00 to 06:30 is read as ending the next morning. If you start before midnight on Sunday, the whole shift is counted on the day it started, which is how many time-keeping systems assign it.
Federal overtime is based on the workweek, a fixed and recurring period of 168 hours set by the employer. Hours over 40 in that week earn at least time and a half, and the Fair Labor Standards Act does not allow averaging two weeks together. That is why the calculator works one week at a time. Exempt employees, and those under state rules with daily overtime, may be paid differently.
Rounding and time clocks
Many employers round punches to the nearest 5, 6 or 15 minutes. Federal regulation 29 CFR 785.48 allows this only if, over time, it does not consistently shortchange employees. This calculator does not round, so its totals reflect the exact times you enter; if your employer rounds, your paycheck can differ by a few minutes either way.
When a weekly time card helps
- Checking a paycheck. Compare the decimal total and overtime hours with your pay stub before the pay period closes.
- Submitting a timesheet. Many employers ask for daily hours and a weekly total in decimal; the table gives both.
- Part-time and gig work. Irregular days and split weeks are easy to total without a spreadsheet.
- Small business payroll. Tally an employee’s week and see the overtime premium before running payroll. The salary to hourly calculator helps when you are comparing an hourly wage with a salary offer.
Common mistakes
- Reading h:mm as decimal. 7:30 is 7.5 hours, not 7.3.
- Subtracting paid breaks. Short rest breaks are normally paid; leave them out.
- Mixing up AM and PM. An out time of 5:15 AM instead of 5:15 PM turns an 8:30 AM start into a 20:45 overnight shift. Check afternoon times show PM (17:15 in 24-hour time).
- Adding two weeks together for overtime. Each workweek stands alone.
Worked examples
A five-day week with lunch breaks
Monday to Friday with 30–45 minute unpaid lunches and a short Friday, no hourly rate entered. The week ends 10 minutes over 40 hours.
Inputs: Monday start = 08:00; Monday end = 16:45; Monday unpaid break = 30 min; Tuesday start = 08:10; Tuesday end = 17:00; Tuesday unpaid break = 30 min; Wednesday start = 07:55; Wednesday end = 16:30; Wednesday unpaid break = 45 min; Thursday start = 08:00; Thursday end = 17:20; Thursday unpaid break = 30 min; Friday start = 08:05; Friday end = 15:00; Friday unpaid break = 0 min; Pay overtime at 1.5× after 40 hours in the week = Yes
Monday 8:15 + Tuesday 8:20 + Wednesday 7:50 + Thursday 8:50 + Friday 6:55 = 40:10 = 2,410 min ÷ 60 = 40.17 h
Answer: Total for the week: 40:10 (40.17 hours) over 5 days, including 0.17 overtime hours.
Overtime pay at $21 an hour
Four 10-hour days plus a Saturday morning, paid $21 an hour with time and a half after 40 hours.
Inputs: Monday start = 07:00; Monday end = 17:30; Monday unpaid break = 30 min; Tuesday start = 07:00; Tuesday end = 17:30; Tuesday unpaid break = 30 min; Wednesday start = 07:00; Wednesday end = 17:30; Wednesday unpaid break = 30 min; Thursday start = 07:00; Thursday end = 17:30; Thursday unpaid break = 30 min; Saturday start = 08:00; Saturday end = 12:15; Saturday unpaid break = 0 min; Hourly rate = $21; Pay overtime at 1.5× after 40 hours in the week = Yes
Monday 10:00 + Tuesday 10:00 + Wednesday 10:00 + Thursday 10:00 + Saturday 4:15 = 44:15 = 2,655 min ÷ 60 = 44.25 h (2,400 min ÷ 60) × $21.00 + (255 min ÷ 60) × $21.00 × 1.5 = $973.88
Answer: Total for the week: 44:15 (44.25 hours) over 5 days, including 4.25 overtime hours. Gross pay $973.88.
Overnight shifts
Three night shifts that end the next morning, at $24.75 an hour.
Inputs: Monday start = 22:00; Monday end = 06:30; Monday unpaid break = 30 min; Tuesday start = 22:00; Tuesday end = 06:30; Tuesday unpaid break = 30 min; Wednesday start = 23:15; Wednesday end = 07:00; Wednesday unpaid break = 15 min; Hourly rate = $24.75; Pay overtime at 1.5× after 40 hours in the week = Yes
Monday 8:00 + Tuesday 8:00 + Wednesday 7:30 = 23:30 = 1,410 min ÷ 60 = 23.50 h (1,410 min ÷ 60) × $24.75 = $581.63
Answer: Total for the week: 23:30 (23.50 hours) over 3 days. Gross pay $581.63.
Assumptions and limitations
- Each day has one start and one end time. An end time at or before the start time is treated as finishing the next day, so a single shift can be up to 24 hours.
- Break minutes are unpaid and subtracted in full. Short paid rest breaks should not be entered.
- Overtime is 1.5 times the hourly rate for hours over 40 in the week, the federal FLSA rule. Daily overtime (as in some states), double time, and exemptions are not modeled. Untick the option to see straight-time pay.
- Times are not rounded. Pay uses exact minutes; decimal hours are shown to 2 decimal places, so multiplying the rounded figures can differ by a cent or two.
- Pay is gross, before taxes and deductions. The hourly rate is treated as the regular rate; bonuses or shift differentials that change the regular rate are not included.
- This is a time calculation, not payroll or legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my time card?
For each day, subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract unpaid breaks. Add up the days, and divide the total minutes by 60 for decimal hours. A day from 8:30 to 17:15 with a 45-minute lunch is 8:45 minus 0:45, or 8:00 hours.
How do I convert time card minutes to decimal?
Divide the minutes by 60. 15 minutes is 0.25, 30 minutes is 0.50, 45 minutes is 0.75, and 50 minutes is 0.83. So 41 hours 50 minutes is 41.83 hours, not 41.50.
How does the calculator handle night shifts?
Enter the times as shown on the clock. If the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift is treated as ending the next day, so 21:30 to 06:00 with a 30-minute break is 8:00 hours. The table marks that end time as next day.
Do I have to fill in all seven days?
No. Monday's times are required so the calculator has something to add, and any other day can be left blank. If your week runs from a different day, use the rows in order; the weekly total is the same.
When does overtime start?
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, covered non-exempt employees earn at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Hours are not averaged across weeks. Some states, such as California, also require daily overtime, which this calculator does not apply.
Should lunch be deducted from my hours?
Only if it is an unpaid meal break. The Department of Labor treats bona fide meal periods, usually 30 minutes or more with no duties, as unpaid, while rest breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes count as work time.
Can I calculate two weeks at once?
Overtime is worked out week by week, so run each week separately and add the totals. Combining two weeks into one entry would hide overtime earned in a long week.
Sources
- Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Checked October 10, 2026.
- Fact Sheet #22: Hours Worked Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Checked October 10, 2026.
- 29 CFR § 785.48 – Use of time clocks — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked October 10, 2026.