Crunch Hours Calculator
How long is 9:00 to 17:30, minus lunch — and what is it worth? Enter start and end (overnight shifts wrap past midnight on their own), subtract a break, and get the span in hours:minutes, in decimal hours for timesheets, and in gross pay if you add a rate.
An end time earlier than the start is treated as next-day — overnight shifts need no special handling. Timesheets want decimal hours: 8 h 30 m is 8.50, not 8.30.
How it works
Both times become minutes since midnight; the end gains 1,440 minutes if it is earlier than the start (the overnight wrap). Subtract the break and you have the shift. The decimal form — total minutes ÷ 60 — is the one payroll systems use, which is why 30 minutes shows as .50 and 45 minutes as .75.
Method & worked example
Method: Times convert to minutes since midnight; an end earlier than the start gains 1,440 minutes (the overnight wrap). Paid minutes = span − break, and decimal hours = paid minutes ÷ 60 — the form payroll uses, where 30 minutes is .50, not .30.
Worked example: 9:00 to 17:30 spans 8 h 30 m; minus a 30-minute break, the paid time is exactly 8 h — 8.00 decimal hours, $160.00 gross at $20/hr. An overnight shift of 22:00 to 06:00 is 8 hours with no special handling.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours is 9:00 to 17:30 with a 30-minute break?
The span is 8 hours 30 minutes; minus the break, 8 hours exactly — 8.00 decimal hours. At $20 an hour that shift grosses $160.00.
How do overnight shifts work here?
Enter them plainly: 22:00 to 06:00 is 8 hours, because an end earlier than the start is read as the next day. No date fields, no checkboxes.
Why does my timesheet say 8.50 for 8 hours 30 minutes?
Payroll runs on decimals: minutes ÷ 60. Thirty minutes is half an hour (.50), fifteen is .25, forty-five is .75. Writing 8.30 on a timesheet underpays you by 12 minutes — a classic quiet loss.
Is the break subtracted before pay is computed?
Yes — gross pay here is paid hours only, so an unpaid break never inflates the total. If your break is paid, set it to 0.
⏰ Past 40 hours this week?
The Overtime Calculator splits regular and time-and-a-half pay across a whole week — the version payroll actually runs.