Time & attendance
Decimal hours calculator
Free decimal hours calculator (time to decimal converter) for payroll, timesheets, and billable hours. Convert hours and minutes to decimal hours — or turn payroll decimals like 7.75 back into 7:45 — with 2–4 decimal places and pay-period totals above 24 hours. Open the built-in 1–60 minute chart, copy results, or export CSV/PDF — no sign-up. For weekly or bi-weekly grids with breaks and FLSA overtime, use the timesheet calculator or time card calculator; for elapsed time between two clock times, use the time duration calculator.
How this decimal hours calculator works
Quick answer: To convert hours and minutes to decimal hours, add whole hours to (minutes ÷ 60). Examples: 8 h 30 m = 8.50; 7 h 45 m = 7.75; 2 h 50 m = 2 + 50/60 ≈ 2.83 at two decimal places; 2 h 15 m = 2.25.
To convert decimal hours to hours and minutes, the integer is hours; multiply the decimal fraction by 60 for minutes — e.g. 8.75 → 8:45, 8.20 → 8:12 (0.20 × 60), 0.65 h → 39 minutes.
Use Time → decimal for timesheet entry; use Decimal → time when a pay stub shows decimals. Totals above 24 hours (e.g. 78 h 45 m = 78.75 in a two-week period) are supported.
Choose direction
Time → decimal for clock times, or Decimal → time to decode payroll decimals.
Enter values
Whole hours (0–999) and minutes (0–59), or a decimal hour value. Pick decimal places (2 is typical for payroll).
Read results and export
Copy decimal hours into your timesheet or export CSV/PDF for records.
Formula: hours and minutes to decimal hours
Decimal hours = Hours + (Minutes ÷ 60)
Worked examples:
- 7 h 45 m → 7.75
- 2 h 50 m → 2.83 (2 dp)
- 2 h 15 m → 2.25
- 0 h 45 m → 0.75
- 78 h 45 m → 78.75 (pay-period total)
Reverse: Minutes = round((Decimal − floor(Decimal)) × 60) with standard carry at 60 minutes. Example: 8.20 → 8 h + 12 m.
Minutes to decimal hours chart
Payroll teams often look up common minute values. The sample table below uses 2 decimal places. In the calculator results, open the Minutes to decimal hours chart (1–60) panel — it is generated from the same engine as your conversion and updates when you change decimal places.
| Minutes | Decimal hours (2 dp) | Minutes | Decimal hours (2 dp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.02 | 20 | 0.33 |
| 5 | 0.08 | 25 | 0.42 |
| 10 | 0.17 | 30 | 0.50 |
| 15 | 0.25 | 40 | 0.67 |
| 45 | 0.75 | 50 | 0.83 |
| 55 | 0.92 | 60 | 1.00 |
Authoritative reference
State labor agencies publish similar charts for employers, for example the North Carolina time conversion chart.
Decimal hours in payroll and timesheets
Hourly payroll multiplies decimal hours × hourly rate for gross pay before deductions. Example: an employee works 78 h 45 m in a two-week period → 78.75 decimal hours. At $18/hour, gross pay = 78.75 × 18 = $1,417.50 (withholdings and overtime rules still apply separately).
Contractors and agencies often use the same decimal format for billable hours on invoices — convert each day’s time, then sum decimals for the billing period.
For a weekly grid with lunch breaks and FLSA overtime splits, use the time card calculator. For one shift from clock-in to clock-out, use the time duration calculator.
Convert time to decimal in Excel
If whole hours are in A2 and minutes in B2:
=A2+B2/60
Round for payroll display: =ROUND(A2+B2/60,2). The same formula works in Google Sheets.
If start and end are Excel time values (fraction of a day), decimal hours = =(B2-A2)*24. When the shift crosses midnight, add 1 to the end date or use =MOD(B2-A2,1)*24. Format the cell as Number, not Time.
To turn a decimal back into hours and minutes in Excel: hours = INT(A2), minutes = ROUND((A2-INT(A2))*60,0).
Rounding and timekeeping
Under US federal rules, employers may round clock punches to the nearest increment (for example 5, 6, or 15 minutes) only when the rounding is neutral over time — not always in the employer’s favor. Decimal conversion itself does not replace your company’s rounding policy; apply rounding before or after conversion per HR guidance.
This tool is for math only, not legal advice. Confirm policies with your employer or official labor resources.
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Frequently asked questions about this decimal hours calculator
What are decimal hours?
Decimal hours express work time as one number: minutes are shown as a fraction of an hour. Thirty minutes equals 0.50 h, forty-five minutes equals 0.75 h. Payroll systems use decimals so hourly rate × hours is a single multiplication.
How do I convert hours and minutes to decimal hours?
Divide minutes by 60 and add the result to whole hours. Formula: Hours + (Minutes ÷ 60). Example: 8 h 30 m = 8 + 0.5 = 8.50 decimal hours.
How do I convert decimal hours back to hours and minutes?
The integer part is hours. Multiply the decimal fraction by 60 and round to get minutes. Example: 8.75 → 8 hours and 45 minutes.
What is 7 hours 45 minutes in decimal?
7 + (45 ÷ 60) = 7.75 decimal hours.
What is 2.5 hours in hours and minutes?
2.5 decimal hours = 2 hours 30 minutes (0.5 × 60 = 30 minutes).
How do I convert time to decimal in Excel?
With hours in A2 and minutes in B2, use =A2+B2/60. For time values, use (end-start)*24 and handle midnight crossover by adding 1 day to the end time when needed.
Why do payroll systems use decimal hours?
Decimals make hourly pay math straightforward (rate × hours) and match imports from time clocks. They also reduce repeated minute-to-hour conversions across large payroll runs.
Is 0.1 decimal hours the same as 6 minutes?
Approximately. 0.1 × 60 = 6 minutes exactly. At 2 decimal places, six minutes is 0.10 h.
Is this the same as decimal time with 10-hour days?
No. Payroll decimal hours still use 60-minute hours. Historical “decimal time” with 10-hour days is a different system. This calculator uses standard 60-minute hours.
How is this different from a time card calculator?
This tool converts between formats for a single total. A time card calculator adds up a week of shifts, breaks, and overtime.
What is 40 minutes in decimal hours?
40 ÷ 60 ≈ 0.67 decimal hours at two decimal places (exact value 0.666…).
What is 2 hours and 50 minutes in decimal?
2 + (50 ÷ 60) = 2 + 0.833… ≈ 2.83 decimal hours when rounded to two decimal places.
What is 2 hours 15 minutes in decimal hours?
2 + (15 ÷ 60) = 2 + 0.25 = 2.25 decimal hours.
What is 8.20 in hours and minutes?
8.20 decimal hours = 8 hours 12 minutes. The whole number is 8 hours; 0.20 × 60 = 12 minutes.
What is 0.65 of an hour in minutes?
0.65 × 60 = 39 minutes (0.65 decimal hours = 0 h 39 m).
How do I calculate gross pay with decimal hours?
Multiply decimal hours × hourly rate. Example: 78.75 hours × $18/hour = $1,417.50 gross before taxes and deductions. Convert each shift to decimals first, or sum minutes then convert once for the pay period.
What is 15 minutes in decimal hours?
15 ÷ 60 = 0.25 decimal hours (one quarter of an hour).