Shift Hours Calculator
Calculate your total shift hours, break time, paid hours, decimal hours and estimated pay.
What Is a Shift Hours Calculator?
A Shift Hours Calculator helps you calculate how long you worked between the start and end of a shift. It can also account for break time, paid or unpaid breaks, overnight shifts, and hourly pay.
Instead of manually calculating the difference between two times, simply enter your shift start and end time and let the calculator do the work.
The calculator shows your total shift length, actual working hours, paid hours, decimal hours, and estimated pay.
How to Use the Shift Hours Calculator
Using the ShiftCalco Shift Hours Calculator is simple.
- Enter the time your shift started.
- Enter the time your shift ended.
- Enter your break duration in minutes.
- Select whether your shift ends on the same day or the next day.
- Select whether your break is paid or unpaid.
- Optionally enter your hourly rate.
- Click Calculate My Shift.
Your results will be calculated instantly.
Shift Hours Calculation Example
Suppose you start work at 9:00 AM and finish at 5:00 PM.
Your total shift length is:
8 hours
If you take a 30-minute unpaid break, your actual working and paid time becomes:
7 hours 30 minutes
In decimal format:
7.50 hours
If your hourly rate is €15, your estimated pay would be:
7.50 × €15 = €112.50
How Are Shift Hours Calculated?
The basic calculation is:
End Time − Start Time = Total Shift Hours
If you have an unpaid break, the break is then deducted:
Total Shift Hours − Unpaid Break = Paid Hours
For example:
Start: 8:30 AM
End: 5:00 PM
Total Shift: 8 hours 30 minutes
Unpaid Break: 30 minutes
Paid Hours: 8 hours
ShiftCalco performs these calculations automatically.
Paid Break vs Unpaid Break
Whether your break is paid can make a difference to your total paid hours.
For example, imagine you have an 8-hour shift with a 30-minute break.
If the break is unpaid, your paid time is:
7 hours 30 minutes
If the 30-minute break is paid, your paid time remains:
8 hours
The calculator lets you choose between paid and unpaid breaks so you can calculate your hours correctly.
What Are Working Hours and Paid Hours?
Working hours and paid hours are not always the same.
Working hours represent the time you actually spend working after your break is removed.
Paid hours represent the number of hours you are being paid for.
For example, during an 8-hour shift with a 30-minute paid break:
Actual working time: 7 hours 30 minutes
Paid time: 8 hours
With an unpaid break:
Actual working time: 7 hours 30 minutes
Paid time: 7 hours 30 minutes
How Do Decimal Work Hours Work?
Decimal hours convert hours and minutes into a number that is easier to use for payroll and wage calculations.
For example:
| Time | Decimal Hours |
|---|---|
| 6 hours 15 minutes | 6.25 |
| 6 hours 30 minutes | 6.50 |
| 6 hours 45 minutes | 6.75 |
| 7 hours | 7.00 |
| 7 hours 30 minutes | 7.50 |
| 8 hours | 8.00 |
Remember that 30 minutes is 0.50 of an hour, not 0.30.
Can I Calculate an Overnight Shift?
Yes.
If your shift starts on one day and finishes after midnight, select Next Day / Overnight.
For example:
Start: 10:00 PM
End: 6:00 AM
The total shift duration is:
8 hours
If you take a 30-minute unpaid break, your paid hours become:
7 hours 30 minutes
For people who regularly work overnight, you can also use our dedicated Night Shift Calculator.
How Is Shift Pay Calculated?
If you enter your hourly rate, ShiftCalco can provide an estimated amount for the shift.
The basic formula is:
Paid Hours × Hourly Rate = Estimated Pa
For example:
Paid hours: 7.50
Hourly rate: €16.00
7.50 × €16.00 = €120.00
This is only an estimate. Actual wages can differ because of overtime rates, night premiums, weekend rates, holiday pay, taxes, deductions, or other employment arrangements.
Who Can Use the Shift Hours Calculator?
The calculator can be useful for hourly workers, shift workers, employees, supervisors, managers, freelancers, and anyone who needs to calculate working time.
It can be used for shifts in hospitality, healthcare, retail, security, warehouses, factories, restaurants, transport, cleaning, customer service, and many other industries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours is a 9 AM to 5 PM shift?
A shift from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM is 8 hours before any unpaid break is deducted.
How many hours is 9 AM to 5 PM with a 30-minute break?
If the 30-minute break is unpaid, your paid working time is 7 hours 30 minutes, or 7.50 decimal hours.
How do I calculate my work hours?
Enter your start time and end time into the calculator. Add your break duration and select whether the break is paid or unpaid. The calculator will calculate your total and paid hours.
Does break time count as working hours?
It depends on whether your break is paid or unpaid. A paid break remains part of your paid hours, while an unpaid break is deducted.
Can I calculate shifts that cross midnight?
Yes. Select Next Day / Overnight when your shift finishes on the following day.
Can I calculate my shift pay?
Yes. Enter your hourly rate and the calculator will estimate your pay based on your calculated paid hours.
Does this calculator calculate overtime?
This calculator calculates regular shift hours and estimated pay. For overtime calculations, use the Overtime Calculator once we add it to ShiftCalco.
Is the Shift Hours Calculator free?
Yes. The ShiftCalco Shift Hours Calculator is free to use and does not require registration.
Related Calculators
Night Shift Calculator
Calculate working hours for shifts that continue past midnight.
Shift Calculator With Break
Calculate a shift with break deductions.
Overtime Calculator
Calculate overtime hours and estimated overtime pay.
Shift Pay Calculator
Calculate estimated earnings based on your shift hours and hourly rate.
Weekly Hours Calculator
Calculate total working hours across multiple shifts during a week.