A time card turns a week of clock punches into the two numbers payroll cares about: hours worked and gross pay. This calculator does that arithmetic for you — including unpaid breaks, shifts that cross midnight, overtime rules and punch rounding — and shows each day in both hours-and-minutes and decimal hours.
How to use the time card calculator
- Optionally set the week starting date to label each row with its date.
- Enter your hourly rate, the overtime multiplier and the overtime rule used by your employer.
- For each day you worked, enter the time in and time out, and the length of any unpaid break in minutes.
- The tape totals regular hours, overtime hours and pay as you type. Use Print for a paper timesheet or Copy as CSV to paste into a spreadsheet.
Leave days you did not work blank — they count as zero.
How hours are calculated
For each day:
If time out is earlier than time in, 24 hours are added first, so overnight shifts work without any special entry. The week’s total is the sum of the daily hours.
Converting to decimal hours
Payroll systems multiply your rate by decimal hours, not hours and minutes:
| Minutes | Decimal | Minutes | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0.08 | 35 | 0.58 |
| 10 | 0.17 | 40 | 0.67 |
| 15 | 0.25 | 45 | 0.75 |
| 20 | 0.33 | 50 | 0.83 |
| 25 | 0.42 | 55 | 0.92 |
| 30 | 0.50 | 60 | 1.00 |
A common mistake is reading 7:45 as “7.45 hours” — it is actually 7.75 hours.
Overtime rules
| Rule | Overtime is… | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Over 40 hours per week | hours beyond 40 in the workweek | Federal FLSA standard in the US |
| Over 8 hours per day | hours beyond 8 in a single day | Some union contracts and policies |
| Over 8 per day and 40 per week | daily overtime first, then any regular hours beyond 40 | California-style rules |
| No overtime | none | Salaried-exempt staff, contractors |
Overtime pay = overtime hours × hourly rate × multiplier (1.5 for “time and a half”).
Worked example
You work Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch, at $22 an hour.
- Each day: 9 h 30 min − 30 min = 9 hours.
- Week: 5 × 9 = 45 hours → 40 regular + 5 overtime under the weekly rule.
- Pay: 40 × $22 = $880 regular, plus 5 × $22 × 1.5 = $165 overtime, for $1,045 gross.
Tips for accurate time cards
- Record punches the same day; memory-based timesheets are a common source of payroll disputes.
- Check whether breaks are paid. In the US, short breaks (usually under 20 minutes) are generally paid time, while meal periods of 30 minutes or more are often unpaid.
- For a two-week pay period, use the bi-weekly time card calculator, which applies the 40-hour rule to each week separately.
This tool estimates gross pay before taxes and deductions. Labor rules vary by state and employer; your payroll department's records are authoritative.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hours worked from a time card?
For each day, subtract the clock-in time from the clock-out time, then subtract any unpaid break. Add the daily totals for the week. For example, 8:45 AM to 5:15 PM is 8 hours 30 minutes; minus a 30-minute lunch leaves 8 hours.
How does the calculator handle overnight shifts?
If the clock-out time is earlier than the clock-in time, the shift is treated as ending the next day. A shift from 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM counts as 8 hours 30 minutes.
When does overtime start?
Under the US Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees earn at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Some states, including California, also require daily overtime after 8 hours. Pick the rule that matches your workplace.
How do I convert hours and minutes to decimal hours for payroll?
Divide the minutes by 60 and add them to the hours. 7 hours 45 minutes is 7 + 45/60 = 7.75 hours. The calculator shows both formats for every day and for the total.
Are my entries saved?
Yes, in your own browser's local storage, so you can close the page and come back later. Nothing is sent to a server. Use Clear times to start a new week.
What does punch rounding do?
Many employers round each clock-in and clock-out to the nearest 5, 6 or 15 minutes. Choose a rounding interval to match your employer's policy; under US rules the rounding must be neutral over time.