Time Duration Calculator · Practical guide
Convert Hours and Minutes to Decimal for Payroll
Payroll multiplies wages by decimal hours, not hours and minutes — one division converts any timesheet entry.
At a glance
The Conversion Formula
Decimal hours = Hours + (Minutes ÷ 60). A shift of 8 hours 30 minutes is 8 + 30 ÷ 60 = 8.5 hours, and 7 hours 45 minutes is 7 + 45 ÷ 60 = 7.75 hours. Use the calculator above to get the hours and minutes between two times, then apply this one division.
Interactive tool
Time Duration Calculator
Enter your own values, then compare the result with the examples below.
Results
Minutes-to-Decimal Lookup Table
| Minutes | Decimal | Minutes | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|
| :00 | 0.00 | :30 | 0.50 |
| :10 | 0.17 | :40 | 0.67 |
| :15 | 0.25 | :45 | 0.75 |
| :20 | 0.33 | :50 | 0.83 |
Calculating Pay
Once the time is in decimal form, multiply by the hourly wage: 7.75 hours × $20/hour = $155.00, and 8.5 hours × $18/hour = $153.00. Skipping the conversion and multiplying 7.45 by $20 instead would underpay by more than $6 — the most common timesheet mistake.
Rounding Rules
Many employers round to the nearest quarter hour (0.25) or tenth of an hour. Under quarter-hour rounding, 7 hours 52 minutes becomes 7.75 hours, while 7 hours 53 minutes rounds to 8.00. Check your employer's policy before rounding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 45 minutes in decimal hours?
0.75 hours, because 45 ÷ 60 = 0.75. So 5 hours 45 minutes is written as 5.75 on a timesheet.
What is 20 minutes as a decimal?
20 ÷ 60 = 0.333..., which payroll rounds to 0.33. A shift of 6 hours 20 minutes becomes 6.33 hours.
Why does payroll use decimal hours?
Wages are computed by multiplication, and you cannot multiply dollars by hours-and-minutes directly. Decimal hours turn time into a plain number that works with any hourly rate.
How do I get decimal hours from a start and end time?
Find the duration between the two times first, then divide the leftover minutes by 60 and add to the whole hours. From 9:00 AM to 5:45 PM that is 8 hours 45 minutes, or 8.75.