Enter a start and end time to get the duration in hours and minutes.
Measuring elapsed time
Calculating the time between a start and an end is a daily need for timesheets, shift planning, study sessions, and travel. The result is expressed in hours and minutes, which is how schedules and pay are usually recorded.
The one case that confuses people is an overnight span, where the end time is earlier on the clock than the start. This calculator assumes such a span crosses midnight and adds a full day, so a shift from the evening into the next morning is measured correctly.
To convert the result into decimal hours for payroll, divide the minutes by sixty, so eight hours and thirty minutes becomes 8.5 hours.
The formula
Worked example
09:00 to 17:30 is 8h 30m.
How to read your result
If the end time is earlier than the start, the calculator assumes it crosses midnight and adds 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
- Can it handle overnight shifts?
- Yes - an end time earlier than the start is treated as the next day.
- Does it include seconds?
- No, it works in hours and minutes.
- How do I get decimal hours?
- 8h 30m equals 8.5 hours; divide the minutes by 60.
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