Clocks count in base 60, but pay rates and spreadsheets count in base 10. Before you can multiply hours by a dollar rate, bill a client or add times in a calculator, hours and minutes need to become decimal hours. This converter does that for any duration — hours, minutes and seconds — and also gives decimal minutes, total seconds and the rounded values payroll systems use.
How to use the time to decimal calculator
- Enter the hours, minutes and, if needed, seconds.
- Pick how many decimal places you want in the headline result.
- Read decimal hours on the tape, along with the exact value, decimal minutes, total seconds, decimal days and the figure rounded to tenths and quarter hours.
Time to decimal formula
Worked examples
7:45 to decimal. 45 ÷ 60 = 0.75, so 7:45 = 7.75 hours (465 minutes).
8:20 to decimal. 20 ÷ 60 = 0.3333…, so 8:20 = 8.33 hours to two places.
2:37:30 to decimal. 37 ÷ 60 = 0.616667 and 30 ÷ 3600 = 0.008333, so the total is 2.625 hours, or 157.5 minutes.
Minutes to decimal reference
| Minutes | Decimal | Minutes | Decimal | Minutes | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.02 | 21 | 0.35 | 41 | 0.68 |
| 5 | 0.08 | 25 | 0.42 | 45 | 0.75 |
| 6 | 0.10 | 30 | 0.50 | 48 | 0.80 |
| 10 | 0.17 | 33 | 0.55 | 50 | 0.83 |
| 12 | 0.20 | 36 | 0.60 | 54 | 0.90 |
| 15 | 0.25 | 39 | 0.65 | 55 | 0.92 |
| 18 | 0.30 | 40 | 0.67 | 59 | 0.98 |
| 20 | 0.33 |
The full 1–60 chart, with your value highlighted, is on the minutes to decimal hours converter.
Why decimal hours matter for pay
Pay is rate × decimal hours. If you work 7 hours 45 minutes at $20 an hour, the correct pay is 7.75 × $20 = $155.00. Entering 7.45 instead would pay $149.00 — a $6 shortfall for one day, or about $1,500 over a year of similar days.
Rounding: tenths and quarters
Many employers record time in tenths of an hour (6-minute increments) or quarter hours (15-minute increments). Under federal rules (29 CFR 785.48), rounding is permitted only if it averages out over time and does not consistently shortchange employees.
| Exact time | Decimal | Tenths | Quarters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:44 | 7.73 | 7.7 | 7.75 |
| 7:52 | 7.87 | 7.9 | 7.75 |
| 8:08 | 8.13 | 8.1 | 8.25 |
Mistakes to avoid
- Dropping the seconds on long call-center or machine logs can add up. 30 seconds is 0.0083 hours; over 400 records that is 3.3 hours.
- Rounding too early. Round once, at the end. Rounding every entry to two decimals and then summing can drift by a few cents.
- Spreadsheet time values. In Excel or Google Sheets, a time like 7:45 is stored as a fraction of a day, so multiply it by 24 to get 7.75. The guide on how to convert time to decimal in Excel covers this in detail.
To go the other way — from 7.85 hours back to 7:51 — use the decimal to time calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert hours and minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60 and add the result to the hours. 7 hours 45 minutes is 7 + 45 ÷ 60 = 7 + 0.75 = 7.75 hours. With seconds, also add seconds ÷ 3600.
Is 7:30 the same as 7.3 hours?
No. 7:30 means 7 hours and 30 minutes, which is 7.5 hours. 7.3 hours is 7 hours 18 minutes. Reading the minutes as a decimal is the most common payroll conversion error.
How many decimal places should I use for payroll?
Two decimal places are standard for hours on timesheets and invoices. Some payroll systems record time in tenths of an hour (6-minute units) or quarter hours (15-minute units); the calculator shows both rounded values.
What is 1 minute as a decimal of an hour?
One minute is 1/60 of an hour, about 0.0167. Because 60 does not divide evenly into tenths, most minute values have repeating decimals — 20 minutes is 0.3333… hours.
Can I enter more than 59 minutes?
Yes. 2 hours 75 minutes is treated as 3 hours 15 minutes, or 3.25 hours. The tape shows the normalized h:mm:ss figure next to the decimal result.