Not every job fits a neat time card. Restaurant servers work split shifts, home health aides see several clients a day, freelancers bounce between projects and gig workers log a dozen short blocks a week. This work hours calculator accepts any list of shifts — one per line, in plain language — and totals them by shift, by day or label, and for the whole list, with breaks, overnight work, overtime and pay.
How to use the work hours calculator
- In the box, write one shift per line: an optional label (a day, client or job), the start and end times, and an optional break in minutes after a comma.
- Enter your hourly rate if you want pay totals.
- Pick an overtime rule: over 40 hours in the list, over 8 hours per label, or none.
- Read the totals on the tape, the shift table, the per-day table and the bar chart below.
Lines that share a label are added together, so two “Mon” lines become one Monday total. Lines beginning with # are ignored, which is handy for notes.
Formats the calculator understands
| You type | Read as |
|---|---|
Mon 7:30 am - 11:45 am |
7:30 AM to 11:45 AM, label Mon |
Tue 8:00 - 16:30, 30 |
8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, 30-min break |
Client A 9a to 1p |
9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, label Client A |
Fri 22:00 - 6:30, 30 |
10:00 PM to 6:30 AM next day, 30-min break |
0700-1530 |
7:00 AM to 3:30 PM, no label |
How the totals are calculated
For each line:
If the end is earlier than the start, 24 hours are added because the shift ran past midnight. The total is the sum of all lines, and with the weekly rule:
Worked example
The default list describes one week at $21 an hour:
| Label | Shifts | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 7:30 AM–11:45 AM and 12:15 PM–4:00 PM | 4:15 + 3:45 = 8:00 |
| Tue | 8:00 AM–4:30 PM, 30-min break | 8:00 |
| Wed | 8:00 AM–5:45 PM, 45-min break | 9:00 |
| Thu | 8:00 AM–12:00 PM and 6:00 PM–9:30 PM | 4:00 + 3:30 = 7:30 |
| Fri | 10:00 PM–6:30 AM, 30-min break | 8:00 |
| Total | 7 shifts | 40:30 (40.50 h) |
- Regular pay: 40 × $21 = $840.00
- Overtime: 0.5 × $21 × 1.5 = $15.75
- Gross pay: $855.75
Split shifts and the law
Federal law counts every hour you are working, wherever the gaps fall, so the two halves of a split shift simply add together. The unpaid gap between them is not work time if you are free to use it for your own purposes. Some states add rules: California, for example, requires an extra hour of pay at minimum wage on days with a split shift for some low-wage workers. Check your state labor department if your schedule regularly breaks up the day.
Tips for accurate totals
- Always add am/pm or use 24-hour time. “9 - 5” is read as 9:00 AM to 5:00 AM, a 20-hour overnight shift; the notes warn you when that happens.
- Label consistently. “Mon” and “Monday” are treated as different labels.
- One workweek per run when checking federal overtime. For two-week periods use the bi-weekly time card.
- Copy the table. The shift table pastes cleanly into a spreadsheet; to add up durations you already have, try the hours and minutes calculator.
Totals are estimates of gross pay before taxes. Your employer's timekeeping records and your state's rules on breaks and overtime take precedence.
Frequently asked questions
How do I enter a split shift?
Put each part of the shift on its own line with the same label, for example 'Mon 7:30 am - 11:45 am' and 'Mon 12:15 pm - 4:00 pm'. The calculator lists both shifts and adds them into one Monday total.
What time formats can I use?
12-hour times with am or pm (9:30 am, 5 pm, 9:30p), 24-hour times (17:45) and four-digit times (0730) all work. Separate start and end with a hyphen, a dash or the word 'to'.
How do I subtract a break?
Add the break length in minutes at the end of the line, after a comma: 'Tue 8:00 - 16:30, 30' records an 8.5-hour span with a 30-minute unpaid break, or 8 hours worked.
Why was my shift counted as 20 hours?
A line like '9 - 5' without am or pm is read on a 24-hour clock, so it runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 AM the next day. Write '9 am - 5 pm' or '9:00 - 17:00'. The calculator flags shifts it read as overnight in the notes.
Does the overtime option follow federal law?
The 'over 40 hours in total' option matches the Fair Labor Standards Act when the list covers exactly one workweek. If you paste two weeks, run each week separately, because federal overtime cannot be averaged across weeks.