Free time card and pay calculators

Shift Hours Calculator

Enter when your shift starts, how long it is and your unpaid break to see the end time, the paid hours and optional pay.

A shift hours calculator works out when a work shift ends, how many hours you are paid for, and how many hours that adds up to per week and per year. This Shift Hours Calculator is free and runs in your browser, with no account or sign-up needed. Enter a start time and a shift length, and the result updates as you type. Shift length is the clock time from start to finish, so the tool subtracts your unpaid break for you. You can choose an 8-, 10- or 12-hour shift, or type any length up to 24 hours. If you add an hourly rate, the tool also estimates gross pay, including overtime after a weekly threshold you set.
Shift hours calculator example

How to use the Shift Hours Calculator

  1. Type the shift start time, such as 7 pm, 7:00 pm or 19:00.
  2. Choose the shift length: 8, 10 or 12 hours. To enter another length, select Other and type up to 24 hours as a decimal or in h:mm form.
  3. Enter the unpaid break in minutes. It defaults to 30, and 0:30 also works.
  4. Set shifts per week to a whole number from 1 to 7. It defaults to 4.
  5. Read the end time, the paid hours per shift, and the hours per week and per year.
  6. If you want pay figures, open More options. Enter an hourly pay rate, the weekly hours after which overtime starts (leave it blank for none), and an overtime multiplier (it defaults to 1.5).
  7. Open How it was calculated under the result to see each step with your own values.

Preset buttons above the form load three common cases: a 12-hour night shift from 7 pm, an 8-hour day shift from 9 am on 5 shifts, and four 10-hour shifts from 6 am. Reset returns the form to the starting example.

Presets cover the common cases, and the steps under the result show each calculation.

All pay figures are gross, before any deduction. Leave the overtime box blank if your pay has no weekly overtime.

How do you calculate shift hours?

Shift length is the clock time from the start of the shift to its end, so the paid hours per shift are the shift length minus the unpaid break. A 12-hour shift with a 30 minute break is 11.5 paid hours. The end time is the start time plus the shift length: a 12-hour shift that starts at 7:00 pm ends at 7:00 am the next day, and the page shows “next day” and a warning when the shift passes midnight.

Hours per week are the paid hours per shift times the shifts per week, and hours per year are the weekly hours times 52. Four 11.5-hour shifts a week are 46 hours, or 2,392 hours over 52 weeks. A calendar year has about 52.14 weeks, so the yearly figure is an estimate.

How do you work out 12 hour shift pay?

With an hourly rate, gross pay per shift is the paid hours times the rate. For the weekly figure, hours above your overtime threshold are paid at the rate times the overtime multiplier. At 20 an hour with overtime after 40 hours, four 11.5-hour shifts give 40 regular hours (40 × 20 = 800.00) and 6 overtime hours (6 × 20 × 1.5 = 180.00), so 980.00 in total. Leave the threshold blank for no overtime.

The 1.5 default follows the U.S. Department of Labor description of overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act: at least 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, for covered, non-exempt employees (dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime). Other countries, states, employers and contracts use other rules, so type the threshold and multiplier that apply to you. All amounts are gross, before deductions.

Shift length here is clock time from start to finish. If your 12-hour shift already excludes the break, set the break to 0 so it is not deducted twice.

Worked examples

InputResult
12 h shift from 7:00 pm, 4 shifts a weekends 7:00 AM (07:00), next day; 11:30 paid per shift; 46 h per week
8 h shift from 9:00, 5 shifts a weekends 5:00 PM (17:00); 7:30 paid per shift; 37.5 h per week
10 h shift from 6:00, 4 shifts a weekends 4:00 PM (16:00); 9:30 paid per shift; 38 h per week
12 h shift from 7:00 pm, 4 shifts a weekends 7:00 AM (07:00), next day; 11:30 paid per shift; 46 h per week

Calculated by the tool above; open it with the same values to see each step.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if my shift goes past midnight?

The end time shows “next day,” and a warning appears. For example, a 12-hour shift from 7 pm ends at 7:00 AM (07:00), next day.

Should I enter 0 for the break?

Only if your shift length already excludes the break. The tool subtracts the break from the clock length, so entering 0 avoids a double deduction.

Can I enter times in 24-hour format?

Yes. 17:30, 1730 and 5:30 pm all work. Without am or pm, the number is read on the 24-hour clock.

Is the shift hours calculator free, and is anything I type uploaded?

Yes, it is free and needs no account or sign-up. Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing you type is uploaded.

Can I print or share a calculation?

Yes. Print / save as PDF creates a one-page record with the inputs, results, calculation steps and the date. Copy link copies a page address that stores every input, so the same calculation can be reopened later or sent to someone else.

Is this tax or payroll advice?

No. Results are plain arithmetic on the numbers you enter, before any deduction. They are not legal, tax or payroll advice, and rules differ by country, state and contract.