Work Hours Calculator
One Shift, Precisely Timed
For a single day's hours, the arithmetic looks simple until a shift crosses midnight or a break needs subtracting to the minute. This calculator takes a clock-in and clock-out time, removes any break, and reports the exact hours worked — correctly handling overnight shifts where the out time is technically earlier than the in time.
The Formula
When the clock-out time is earlier than the clock-in time, the calculator adds 24 hours to the span before subtracting the break, correctly resolving overnight shifts (e.g. 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM) instead of returning a negative duration.
Worked Examples
| Time In | Time Out | Break | Hours Worked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | 5:30 PM | 30 min | 8.00 hrs (8h 0m) |
| 10:00 PM | 6:00 AM | 30 min | 7.50 hrs (7h 30m) — overnight shift |
At $18/hour, the 8-hour day example above pays $144.00 before taxes.
Where This Matters
- Daily shift logging — hourly employees confirming a single day's hours match what will appear on their next paycheck.
- Overnight and split shifts — restaurant, healthcare, and security shifts frequently cross midnight, where manual subtraction is most error-prone.
- Quick pay estimates — adding an hourly rate turns a logged shift directly into a dollar figure without a separate calculation.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the time in for the shift.
- Enter the time out for the shift.
- Enter break time in minutes (defaults to 0).
- Enter an hourly rate, optional, to see pay for the shift.
- Select Calculate to see total hours worked.
Related Calculations
Log an entire week at once with the Time Card Calculator, or price hours past a threshold with the Overtime Calculator.