Quick answer
Total hours are the sum of (end time − start time − unpaid break) for each day, and overtime is any time above the weekly threshold. Three shifts of 9:00–17:30, 9:00–18:00 and 8:30–17:00 with 30-minute breaks total 24 hours 30 minutes (24.5 h), with no overtime.
This time card calculator takes start and end times for each day, the unpaid break, the overtime threshold and multiplier, and optionally an hourly rate. The calculator returns total, regular and overtime hours and gross pay.
Related tools: Hours Calculator: Hours worked between a start and end time, minus breaks. Time Duration Calculator: Elapsed time between two clock times, including across midnight. Days Between Dates Calculator: Number of days, weeks and months between two dates.
How to use the Time Card Calculator
- Type start times, for example 09:00, 09:00, 08:30.
- Type end times, for example 17:30, 18:00, 17:00.
- Enter unpaid break per day (min) (0 or more). It starts at 30.
- Enter overtime starts after (hours) (above 0). It starts at 40.
- Optionally, enter hourly rate (optional) ($) (above 0).
- Enter overtime multiplier (above 0). It starts at 1.5.
- Press Calculate to see the result, and use Reset to start again.
| Input | What to enter | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Start times | Text, such as 09:00, 09:00, 08:30 | — |
| End times | Text, such as 17:30, 18:00, 17:00 | — |
| Unpaid break per day | A number, in min | ≥ 0, starts at 30 |
| Overtime starts after | A number, in hours | > 0, starts at 40 |
| Hourly rate (optional) (optional) | A number, in $ | > 0 |
| Overtime multiplier | A number | > 0, starts at 1.5 |
Formula and method
Formula
hours = Σ (end − start − break); overtime = hours above the threshold
IEEE-754 double precision; shown to the decimals indicated.
Your overtime threshold and multiplier depend on your jurisdiction and contract, so you enter them.
Worked examples
These examples are verified: each one is an automated test case that the live calculator must reproduce exactly.
Example 1
Inputs: Start times = 9:00, 9:00, 8:30; End times = 17:30, 18:00, 17:00; Unpaid break per day = 30; Overtime starts after = 40; Overtime multiplier = 1.5.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Total time | 24:30 (24.5 h) |
| Regular hours | 24.5 |
| Overtime hours | 0 |
| Gross pay | — |
Example 2
Inputs: Start times = 8:00, 8:00, 8:00, 8:00, 8:00, 8:00; End times = 17:00, 17:00, 17:00, 17:00, 17:00, 13:00; Unpaid break per day = 60; Overtime starts after = 40; Overtime multiplier = 1.5; Hourly rate (optional) = 20.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Total time | 44:00 (44 h) |
| Regular hours | 40 |
| Overtime hours | 4 |
| Gross pay | $920.00 |
Example 3
Inputs: Start times = 22:00, 22:00; End times = 06:00, 07:00; Unpaid break per day = 30; Overtime starts after = 40; Overtime multiplier = 2; Hourly rate (optional) = 15.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Total time | 16:00 (16 h) |
| Regular hours | 16 |
| Overtime hours | 0 |
| Gross pay | $240.00 |
The first line is the headline result (total time). Below it the time Card Calculator lists regular hours, overtime hours and gross pay, which describe the same case from other angles. IEEE-754 double precision; shown to the decimals indicated.
The arithmetic
Day 1: 8.5 h − 0.5 h = 8.0 h. Day 2: 9.0 − 0.5 = 8.5 h. Day 3: 8.5 − 0.5 = 8.0 h. The total is 24.5 h. With an overtime threshold of 40 hours a week, nothing is paid at 1.5× here.
Pay rules differ
Overtime rules depend on the country, state and whether a worker is exempt. Some places count overtime daily. This tool applies a weekly threshold and a single multiplier; use your payroll rules for pay that matters. The start and end lists must be the same length.
How the result changes with unpaid break per day
Holding every other input at the first worked example, this table changes only unpaid break per day. It shows how sensitive the answer is to that one value; each row was produced by running this calculator.
| Unpaid break per day | Total time | Regular hours | Overtime hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 25:15 (25.25 h) | 25.25 | 0 |
| 30 | 24:30 (24.5 h) | 24.5 | 0 |
| 60 | 23:00 (23 h) | 23 | 0 |
| 120 | 20:00 (20 h) | 20 | 0 |
What happens with invalid input
These messages are produced by the calculator itself, so you know what to fix.
- End times: entering "17:00, 17:00" shows "Enter one end time for every start time." beside that field and no result.
- Start times: left empty shows "Enter start times." beside that field and no result.
Choosing between the Time Card Calculator and similar calculators
Each row shows what a related calculator on this site asks for and what it returns, so you can pick the one that matches your question.
| Calculator | You enter | It returns |
|---|---|---|
| [Hours Calculator](/time/hours-calculator/) | start time and end time | Hours worked |
| [Time Duration Calculator](/time/time-duration-calculator/) | start time and end time | Duration |
| [Days Between Dates Calculator](/date-calendar/days-between-dates-calculator/) | start date, end date and count end date? | Days between |
| [Date Calculator](/date-calendar/date-calculator/) | start date and operation | Resulting date |
| [Time From Now Calculator](/time/minutes-from/) | start time and minutes to add | Resulting time |
Background: dates and times
Date and time results depend on the conventions a tool uses: whether the end date counts, whether weekends and holidays are skipped, how months of different lengths are handled and whether time zones are applied. This page states its convention, and the worked examples show it.
Dates use the Gregorian calendar and calendar days unless the page says otherwise; check deadlines against the rule in your contract or regulation.
Assumptions and limitations
- Lists must be the same length
If a required value is empty, not a number, or outside its allowed range, the form marks that field with a message and shows no result instead of a misleading number. The automated checks deliberately try invalid entries for end times and start times to confirm this.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert minutes to decimal hours?
Divide minutes by 60: 30 minutes is 0.5 hours.
Are unpaid breaks included?
They are subtracted from each shift.
Does it handle night shifts?
Enter times in 24-hour format; use the same day.
What does the Time Card Calculator calculate?
Total hours, overtime and gross pay from daily start and end times. It returns Total time, Regular hours, Overtime hours and Gross pay.
What formula does the Time Card Calculator use?
hours = Σ (end − start − break); overtime = hours above the threshold. Your overtime threshold and multiplier depend on your jurisdiction and contract, so you enter them.
What do I need to enter in the time Card Calculator?
You enter Start times, End times, Unpaid break per day (min), Overtime starts after (hours) and Overtime multiplier. Optional: Hourly rate (optional) ($).
What is an example of a time Card result?
With start times 9:00, 9:00, 8:30, end times 17:30, 18:00, 17:00, unpaid break per day 30, overtime starts after 40 and overtime multiplier 1.5, the total time is 24:30 (24.5 h).
Related calculators
- Hours Calculator — Hours worked between a start and end time, minus breaks.
- Time Duration Calculator — Elapsed time between two clock times, including across midnight.
- Days Between Dates Calculator — Number of days, weeks and months between two dates.
- Date Calculator — Add or subtract days, weeks, months or years from a date.
- Time From Now Calculator — Clock time after adding or subtracting minutes.
- Average Time Calculator — Average of several durations.
- Time Allocation Calculator — Split a block of time between activities by percentage.
- Time Until Calculator — Hours and minutes from the current time until a target clock time (generalizes “how long until 3:58 PM”).
- PTO Accrual Calculator — Paid time off accrued from hours worked at your accrual rate.
Sources
- NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI): minute, hour and day are non-SI units accepted for use with the SI (60 min = 1 h, 24 h = 1 d)
Content last reviewed 2026-11-04. Formulas and worked examples are checked by automated tests against independently computed values.