8-Hour Shift Calculator
Start with a 9 AM to 5 PM shift and adjust breaks or times instantly.
Subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract any unpaid break. An eight-hour elapsed span is eight net hours only when no break is deducted.
8-Hour Shift Calculator
Total worked
Not calculated
Estimate before taxes, deductions, or jurisdiction-specific rules.
Breakdown
- Elapsed
- Not calculated
- Breaks
- Not calculated
- Net worked
- Not calculated
This result is a mathematical estimate based only on the values entered.
How do you calculate an 8-hour shift?
Subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract any unpaid break. An eight-hour elapsed span is eight net hours only when no break is deducted.
The default spans eight elapsed hours; entering a break changes the net total unless the end time is also adjusted.
Net worked time = elapsed minutes − break minutes.
Worked example
A 09:00 to 17:00 shift is 8 elapsed hours; with a 30-minute unpaid lunch, the net time is 7 hours 30 minutes.
Eight elapsed hours versus eight paid hours
The phrase “eight-hour shift” can mean an eight-hour clock span or eight net working hours. Set the end time according to the result you actually need.
- 09:00 to 17:00, no break
- The elapsed and net totals are both exactly eight hours.
- 09:00 to 17:00, 30-minute break
- The clock span stays eight hours, but the net result becomes 7 hours 30 minutes.
- Eight net hours with lunch
- Extend the clock-out time by the unpaid lunch duration so the net result remains eight hours.
Important cases
- A 30-minute break in a 9-to-5 span produces 7h 30m.
- The preset is editable rather than enforcing eight hours.
Common questions
How do you calculate an 8-hour shift?
Subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract any unpaid break. An eight-hour elapsed span is eight net hours only when no break is deducted.
What should you check when using the 8-Hour Shift Calculator?
A 30-minute break in a 9-to-5 span produces 7h 30m. The preset is editable rather than enforcing eight hours.
Calculated using whole-minute arithmetic. Review the calculation methodology and rounding rules.