In the U.S., non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (Fair Labor Standards Act). Other countries and contracts use different thresholds, daily overtime or none at all – set your own.
How to use the Work Hours Calculator
- Start time
- Finish time
- Unpaid break
- Days per week
- Hourly rate
- Overtime after (hours per week)
- Overtime multiplier
Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.
How it works
Pick your start and finish times, enter your unpaid break, working days per week, hourly rate, overtime threshold and multiplier.
Tips
- Check whether the end date should be included – event durations usually include it, elapsed time does not.
- Months have 28–31 days, so “one month” is counted by calendar date, not as 30 days.
- Use 24-hour time or set AM/PM carefully when entering clock times.
- Time zones and daylight-saving changes are not applied unless the calculator says so.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Counting a 30-day month when a calendar month is meant (or the reverse).
- Forgetting leap years when counting days across February.
- Mixing decimal hours (7.5 h) with clock time (7:30).
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Start time | A clock time (hours and minutes) |
| Finish time | A clock time (hours and minutes) |
| Unpaid break | In min |
| Days per week | A number |
| Hourly rate | Amount in your currency |
| Overtime after (hours per week) | A number |
| Overtime multiplier | In × |
What each result means
- Hours per day = mod([Finish time] – [Start time], 24) – [Unpaid break]÷60
- Hours per day (h min) = [Hours per day]
- Hours per week = [Hours per day]×[Days per week]
- Regular hours = min([Hours per week], [Overtime after (hours per week)])
- Overtime hours = max([Hours per week] – [Overtime after (hours per week)], 0)
- Gross weekly pay = [Regular hours]×[Hourly rate] + [Overtime hours]×[Hourly rate]×[Overtime multiplier]
- Gross yearly pay (52 weeks) = [Gross weekly pay]×52
Example values
How the main result changes when Unpaid break changes and everything else stays at the example values above:
| Unpaid break (min) | Hours per week |
|---|---|
| 15 | 41.25 |
| 22.5 | 40.63 |
| 30 | 40 |
| 37.5 | 39.38 |
| 45 | 38.75 |
| 60 | 37.5 |
Formula
Daily hours = finish − start − unpaid breakWeekly hours = daily hours × daysOvertime = max(weekly − threshold, 0); pay = regular × rate + overtime × rate × multiplierWorked example
Inputs — Start time: 08:30; Finish time: 17:00; Unpaid break: 30 min; Days per week: 5; Hourly rate: $18; Overtime after (hours per week): 40; Overtime multiplier: 1.5 ×.
Results — Hours per day = 8; Hours per day (h min) = 8 h 0 min; Hours per week = 40; Regular hours = 40; Overtime hours = 0; Gross weekly pay = $720.00; Gross yearly pay (52 weeks) = $37,440.00.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours is 8:30 am to 5 pm with a 30-minute lunch?
8 hours.
When does overtime start?
Under U.S. federal law, after 40 hours in a workweek; some states (like California) also have daily overtime after 8 hours.
How do I convert hours and minutes for payroll?
Use decimal hours: 7 h 45 min = 7.75 h.
What formula does the Work Hours Calculator use?
Daily hours = finish − start − unpaid break.