How Many Hours Is My Shift? Hours Between Two Times

Want to figure out how long your shift is? Or just how many hours are between two times? It’s pretty simple: you just subtract the start time from the end time. For example, a shift from 9 AM to 5 PM is 8 hours long. This counts the time you’re actually there, before taking out any breaks.

Working out the time between two points, like for a job, an event, or anything else, is a simple task. The main thing is to change both times into the same easy-to-read format. We usually use a 24-hour clock for this. Then, you just find the difference. This way, you can easily figure out shifts that go past midnight or just span across morning and afternoon hours in the same day.

How to Find Time Differences

The easiest way to find the hours between two times is to use a 24-hour clock. Some people call this military time. This keeps everything consistent. For example, midnight is 00:00. 1 PM becomes 13:00, 2 PM is 14:00, and so on, all the way up to 23:59. Using this system means you don’t have to worry about AM or PM when you do your math.

Formula for Hours Between Two Times

Here’s the basic rule to find the length of time:

Length of Time = End Time - Start Time

When you’re dealing with both hours and minutes, the steps get a little more detailed:

• First, change both the start and end times into total minutes. Count from a fixed point, like midnight.
• Then, take the total minutes from the start time and subtract them from the total minutes of the end time.
• Finally, change those total minutes back into hours and minutes.

Example: 9 AM to 5 PM Shift

Let’s find out how long a shift is from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Step 1: Change to 24-Hour Time

• Start Time: 9:00 AM is 09:00 in 24-hour time.
• End Time: 5:00 PM is 17:00 in 24-hour time (because 12 + 5 = 17).

Step 2: Subtract the Start Time from the End Time

• End Time (hours): 17
• Start Time (hours): 9
• Difference in hours: 17 - 9 = 8 hours

Result

So, a shift from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM is 8 hours long.

Example: 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM Shift

Now, let’s calculate the length of a shift from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

Step 1: Change to 24-Hour Time and Total Minutes

• Start Time: 7:30 AM is 07:30 in 24-hour time.
  • To get total minutes from midnight: (7 hours * 60 minutes/hour) + 30 minutes = 420 + 30 = 450 minutes.
• End Time: 3:30 PM is 15:30 in 24-hour time.
  • To get total minutes from midnight: (15 hours * 60 minutes/hour) + 30 minutes = 900 + 30 = 930 minutes.

Step 2: Subtract Start Time Minutes from End Time Minutes

• Difference in minutes: 930 minutes - 450 minutes = 480 minutes.

Step 3: Change Total Minutes Back to Hours and Minutes

• Hours: 480 minutes / 60 minutes/hour = 8 hours.
• Leftover minutes: 480 % 60 = 0 minutes.

Result

A shift from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM is 8 hours long.

What About Shifts That Go Past Midnight?

Sometimes a shift starts on one day and ends the next. For instance, from 10 PM to 6 AM. When this happens, you just add 24 hours to the end time before you subtract. So, a shift from 10 PM (22:00) to 6 AM (06:00 the next day) would be figured out like this: (06:00 + 24:00) - 22:00 = 30:00 - 22:00 = 8 hours.

If you need quick and exact answers, especially for tricky shifts or when you need to include breaks, an online tool can really help. The Hours Calculator is a free website tool. You can put in your start and end times, even deduct breaks, to find the exact length of any shift or time period.

Common Shift Times and How Long They Are

Below, you’ll see a table with how long different common shifts and time periods last. We used the same methods we just talked about to figure these out. These examples cover many typical work schedules and everyday questions about time differences.

Don’t Forget About Breaks!

Remember, the calculations above show the full time from start to end. We call this the “gross” duration. At many jobs, you don’t get paid for breaks, like lunch. So, these unpaid breaks get taken out of the total shift length. This gives you the “net” paid hours. For example, an 8-hour shift from 9 AM to 5 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break actually means you worked 7.5 paid hours.

FAQ

How many hours is a normal 9-5 workday?

A typical 9 AM to 5 PM workday is 8 hours long. This doesn’t include any unpaid breaks you might take during that time.

How do I figure out the hours from 8 AM to 4 PM?

To find the hours from 8 AM to 4 PM, first change 4 PM to 24-hour time, which is 16:00. Then, subtract 8:00 from 16:00. You’ll get 8 hours.

What’s the length of time from 9 AM to 2 PM?

The time from 9 AM to 2 PM is 5 hours. You can figure this out by changing 2 PM to 14:00 and then subtracting 9:00 from 14:00.

If it’s 1 PM now, how many hours until 11 PM today?

If it’s 1 PM right now, there are 10 hours until 11 PM today. Here’s why: 11 PM is 23:00 in 24-hour time, and 1 PM is 13:00. So, 23 – 13 = 10 hours.