How to use the time card calculator
- Start and end times — for each day you worked. Clear both times for a day off. If an end time is earlier than the start, the shift is treated as running past midnight.
- Unpaid break — minutes you were off the clock that day, such as a 30-minute lunch.
- Hourly rate — optional; enter it to see pay.
- Overtime after / multiplier — 40 hours and 1.5× match the federal rule; change them if your employer or contract uses something else.
The daily table under the result shows each day's hours as hours:minutes and as decimal hours, the format most payroll systems ask for.
How the hours are calculated
Each time is converted to minutes after midnight. For every day, hours = (end − start) − unpaid break; if end is earlier than start, 24 hours are added first. The days are added up for the week, and anything over the overtime threshold becomes overtime:
- Overtime hours = total hours − 40 (or 0 if the total is 40 or less)
- Gross pay = regular hours × rate + overtime hours × rate × 1.5
Worked example
You work Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch at $20 an hour:
- Each day: 9 hours on site − 0.5 hour lunch = 8.5 hours
- Week: 5 × 8.5 = 42.5 hours — 40 regular and 2.5 overtime
- Regular pay: 40 × $20 = $800
- Overtime pay: 2.5 × $30 (1.5 × $20) = $75
- Gross pay: $875
Add a Saturday shift from 9:00 to 11:30 with double-time overtime and the week becomes 45 hours: 40 × $20 + 5 × $40 = $1,000.
Federal overtime rules in brief
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the U.S. Department of Labor requires employers to pay covered, non-exempt employees at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. A workweek is any fixed, recurring period of seven consecutive 24-hour days — it doesn't have to start on Monday — and each week stands alone: hours can't be averaged across two weeks. Some employees, such as many salaried executive, administrative and professional workers, are exempt.
The regular rate can include more than the base wage — for example, shift differentials and many non-discretionary bonuses — so overtime pay may be higher than this calculator shows.
State rules, breaks and rounding
- Daily overtime: some states go further. California, for instance, requires overtime for hours over 8 in a workday and double time over 12. This calculator applies a weekly threshold only.
- Breaks: under federal rules, short rest breaks (typically 5 to 20 minutes) count as paid work time, while bona fide meal periods — usually 30 minutes or more, fully relieved from duty — do not. Enter only unpaid time in the break fields.
- Rounding: federal regulations allow employers to round punch times to the nearest 5 minutes, tenth of an hour or quarter hour, as long as rounding doesn't, over time, shortchange employees.
Gross pay is before taxes and deductions. For a single shift, use the hours calculator; to compare an hourly wage with a salary, the salary to hourly calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate overtime on a weekly time card?
Add up the hours worked each day, subtract 40, and pay the remainder at 1.5 times the hourly rate. 42.5 hours at $20 is 40 × $20 + 2.5 × $30 = $875.
Are lunch breaks paid?
Under federal rules, a genuine meal break of usually 30 minutes or more when you are fully relieved of duty is unpaid; short rest breaks of 5–20 minutes are paid. State laws can add requirements.
How do I enter an overnight shift?
Enter the real start and end times — for example 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM. Because the end is earlier than the start, the calculator counts it as ending the next morning.
Does overtime start after 8 hours in a day?
Not under federal law, which uses 40 hours per workweek. A few states, including California, also have daily overtime; this calculator applies only the weekly threshold you set.
How do I convert minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60: 15 minutes = 0.25, 30 = 0.5, 45 = 0.75. The daily table shows every day in both formats.
Last updated: October 8, 2026