Timesheets, project logs, practice journals and video edits all produce a column of times such as 7:45, 8:30 and 6:50 that need adding up. Adding them like ordinary numbers gives the wrong answer, because minutes roll over at 60, not 100. This hours and minutes calculator totals any list of times correctly and shows the result in hours and minutes, decimal hours, and pay at an hourly rate if you want it.
How to use the hours and minutes calculator
- Type or paste your times into the box, one per line. Commas also work as separators.
- Use whatever format you have: 7:45, 7h 45m, 465m or 7.75 all mean the same thing. A plain number is read as hours.
- Put a minus sign in front of anything to subtract, such as an unpaid break.
- Optionally enter an hourly rate to see the pay for the total time.
The table under the calculator lists each entry in h:mm and decimal hours with a running total, which makes it easy to spot a typo.
How the total is calculated
Each entry is converted to minutes, the minutes are added, and the sum is converted back:
Worked example
A week of shifts: 8:30, 7:45, 9:15, 6:50 and 8:20, paid at $22.50 an hour.
| Entry | Minutes | Running total |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 | 510 | 8:30 |
| 7:45 | 465 | 16:15 |
| 9:15 | 555 | 25:30 |
| 6:50 | 410 | 32:20 |
| 8:20 | 500 | 40:40 |
The minutes add to 2,440. Then 2,440 ÷ 60 = 40 remainder 40, so the total is 40:40, or 40 hours 40 minutes. As a decimal that is 2,440 ÷ 60 = 40.67 hours, and the pay is 40.6667 × $22.50 = $915.00. The average shift is 8:08.
Minutes to decimal hours
| 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 |
The classic mistake is reading 7:45 as 7.45 hours. It is 7.75 hours, and on a 40-hour week that kind of slip can understate pay by more than an hour. For a full 1-to-60 chart see the minutes to decimal hours converter.
Tips for accurate totals
- Rounding: the h:mm total is rounded to the nearest minute when entries include seconds; the decimal figures keep the seconds.
- Overtime: this tool adds time but does not apply overtime rules. For a week of clock-in and clock-out times with overtime and pay, use the time card calculator.
- Two durations only? The time calculator also subtracts, multiplies and divides durations with days and seconds.
- From clock times: if you have start and end times rather than lengths, find each shift’s length first with the time duration calculator.
Pay figures are gross amounts before taxes and deductions. Your employer's payroll records and rounding policy are authoritative.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add up hours and minutes?
Add all the minutes, then divide by 60: the whole number is extra hours and the remainder stays as minutes. 45 + 50 = 95 minutes, which is 1 hour 35 minutes. Add that to the sum of the hours.
What formats can I enter?
Use h:mm (7:45), h:mm:ss (1:02:30), units such as 7h 45m, 90m or 2 hours 15 min, or decimal hours such as 7.75. Put one entry per line, or separate them with commas.
How do I subtract a break?
Start the line with a minus sign, for example -0:30 for a 30-minute unpaid break. It is subtracted from the running total.
How do I convert the total to decimal hours for payroll?
Divide the minutes by 60 and add them to the hours. 40:40 is 40 + 40/60 = 40.67 hours. The tape shows this figure, and multiplies it by your hourly rate if you enter one.