Calculators

Add or Subtract Hours and Minutes

Add two times together or take one away from the other and get the answer in hours and minutes, decimal hours and total minutes.

Hours and Minutes Calculator

Table of contents

◦Hours and Minutes Calculator
◦Formula
◦How to use
◦FAQ

Hours and Minutes Calculator

Adding times by hand goes wrong at the 60-minute boundary: 7 h 45 min plus 2 h 30 min is not 9 h 75 min. This calculator carries the minutes over for you. Enter the first time, enter the second, and read the result as hours and minutes, as decimal hours for payroll, and as total minutes.

Tick the box to subtract instead. Subtracting a longer time from a shorter one gives a negative result, shown with a minus sign, which is handy when you are checking whether a shift came up short.

Formula

Both times are converted to minutes, combined, and converted back:

  • total minutes = (hours₁ × 60 + minutes₁) ± (hours₂ × 60 + minutes₂)
  • decimal hours = total minutes ÷ 60
  • h:mm = whole hours, then the remaining minutes

Example: 7 h 45 min + 2 h 30 min = 465 + 150 = 615 minutes = 10:15, or 10.25 decimal hours.

Example (subtract): 8 h 00 min − 6 h 20 min = 480 − 380 = 100 minutes = 1:40.

How to use

  1. Type the hours and minutes of the first time. Minutes can be 0–59, or more if you prefer; 90 minutes is treated as 1 h 30 min.
  2. Type the second time.
  3. Leave the box unticked to add, tick it to subtract.
  4. Read the result. The decimal-hours line is the one to copy into a timesheet or invoice.

FAQ

How do I convert the result to decimal hours?

Divide the minutes by 60. 15 minutes is 0.25 h, 30 is 0.5 h, 45 is 0.75 h, 20 is 0.33 h. The calculator shows this line automatically.

Can I add more than two times?

Add the first two, then use that result as the first time and add the next. For a whole week of shifts, the weekly hours calculator takes seven days at once.

What if I need the time between a start and an end clock time?

Use the hours calculator, which takes a start time, an end time and a break.

Why is my result negative?

You subtracted a longer time from a shorter one. The sign shows the shortfall.

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