On This Page
- How to convert time to decimal
- How to convert decimal to time
- Minutes to decimal reference table
- Time card and payroll
- Time to decimal in Excel
- Decimal to time in Excel
- Worked examples
- Frequently asked questions
How to Convert Time to Decimal
To convert hours, minutes, and seconds to a decimal hour value, divide minutes by 60 and seconds by 3600, then add everything to the whole hours:
There are 60 minutes in an hour, so each minute is 1/60 of an hour (0.01667). There are 3,600 seconds in an hour, so each second is 1/3600 of an hour. The most common error is dividing minutes by 100 instead of 60, 45 minutes is 0.75 hours, not 0.45.
Quick Examples
- 1 hour 30 minutes = 1 + (30 ÷ 60) = 1 + 0.5 = 1.5 hours
- 2 hours 45 minutes = 2 + (45 ÷ 60) = 2 + 0.75 = 2.75 hours
- 0 hours 15 minutes = 0 + (15 ÷ 60) = 0.25 hours
- 8 hours 20 minutes = 8 + (20 ÷ 60) = 8 + 0.3333 = 8.3333 hours
How to Convert Decimal to Time
To convert a decimal hour value back to hours, minutes, and seconds, work in reverse:
Example: Convert 3.6 hours to hours and minutes.
- Hours = 3
- Fractional part = 0.6
- Minutes = 0.6 × 60 = 36
- Result: 3 hours 36 minutes (03:36:00)
Minutes to Decimal Reference Table
This table covers every common minute value used in timesheets and payroll. All values are in decimal hours (minutes ÷ 60).
| Minutes | Decimal hours | Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 min | 0.0167 | 31 min | 0.5167 |
| 2 min | 0.0333 | 32 min | 0.5333 |
| 3 min | 0.0500 | 33 min | 0.5500 |
| 4 min | 0.0667 | 34 min | 0.5667 |
| 5 min | 0.0833 | 35 min | 0.5833 |
| 6 min | 0.1000 | 36 min | 0.6000 |
| 7 min | 0.1167 | 37 min | 0.6167 |
| 8 min | 0.1333 | 38 min | 0.6333 |
| 9 min | 0.1500 | 39 min | 0.6500 |
| 10 min | 0.1667 | 40 min | 0.6667 |
| 12 min | 0.2000 | 42 min | 0.7000 |
| 15 min | 0.25 | 45 min | 0.75 |
| 18 min | 0.3000 | 48 min | 0.8000 |
| 20 min | 0.3333 | 50 min | 0.8333 |
| 24 min | 0.4000 | 54 min | 0.9000 |
| 25 min | 0.4167 | 55 min | 0.9167 |
| 30 min | 0.5 | 60 min | 1.0 |
The four cleanest values to remember: 15 min = 0.25, 30 min = 0.5, 45 min = 0.75, 60 min = 1.0. Every other minute value is minutes divided by 60.
Time Card and Payroll
Payroll is the main reason most people need time-to-decimal conversion. Timesheets record time in HH:MM (like 8:20 or 17:45) but calculating pay requires decimal hours so you can multiply by the hourly rate. You can't meaningfully multiply 8 hours 20 minutes by $15, but you can multiply 8.333 hours by $15.
How to Calculate Decimal Hours From a Time Card
- Find hours worked: Subtract start time from end time. If you started at 8:20 and finished at 16:50, you worked 8 hours 30 minutes.
- Convert to decimal: 8 + (30 ÷ 60) = 8 + 0.5 = 8.5 decimal hours.
- Multiply by rate: 8.5 × $18.00 = $153.00 gross pay.
Converting Multiple Time Card Entries
For a full week with multiple shifts, convert each shift to decimal hours first, then add the decimals. Adding decimals is reliable; adding times in HH:MM format requires carrying over at 60 rather than 10, which causes rounding mistakes.
Example week: Mon 7h 45m = 7.75, Tue 8h 30m = 8.5, Wed 8h 0m = 8.0, Thu 7h 15m = 7.25, Fri 8h 45m = 8.75. Total = 7.75 + 8.5 + 8.0 + 7.25 + 8.75 = 40.25 hours. For multi-shift entry with automatic subtraction of break time, overnight handling, and overtime pay, where you enter start/end times rather than doing the conversions manually, the Work Hours Calculator handles all of that directly.
Quarter-Hour Rounding (Common Payroll Rule)
Some payroll systems round to the nearest 15-minute (0.25 hour) increment. Under this system, any time from 1–7 minutes rounds down, and 8–14 minutes rounds up to the next quarter. Check your company's policy, some systems round to the nearest 6-minute (0.1 hour) increment instead.
Time to Decimal in Excel
If time is stored as a proper Excel time value (which Excel stores as a fraction of 24 hours), multiply by 24 to convert to decimal hours.
| Situation | Excel formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Time value in A1 (Excel time format) | =A1*24 | 0:30 → 0.5 |
| Time difference: end in B1, start in A1 | =(B1-A1)*24 | 17:00 − 8:30 = 8.5 |
| Hours in A1, minutes in B1 (numbers, not time format) | =A1+(B1/60) | 2h 45m → 2.75 |
| Text time "2:45" in A1 | =HOUR(TIMEVALUE(A1))+(MINUTE(TIMEVALUE(A1))/60) | "2:45" → 2.75 |
| Sum of decimal hours, format as hours:minutes | Format cell as [h]:mm | 8.75 shows as 8:45 |
Important Excel note: Excel stores time as a fraction of a day, not a fraction of an hour. A value of 0.5 in Excel time format means noon (12:00), not 30 minutes. Always multiply by 24 when converting an Excel time value to decimal hours, without that step, your result will be 24 times too small.
Decimal to Time in Excel
To display a decimal hour value as HH:MM in Excel:
| Goal | Formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Convert decimal hours to Excel time | =A1/24 | Then format cell as h:mm or [h]:mm |
| Extract hours from decimal (e.g. 8.75) | =INT(A1) | Returns 8 |
| Extract minutes from decimal | =INT((A1-INT(A1))*60) | Returns 45 for 8.75 |
| Build HH:MM text from decimal | =TEXT(INT(A1),"0")&":"&TEXT(INT((A1-INT(A1))*60),"00") | Returns "8:45" |
Use [h]:mm format (with square brackets) instead of h:mm when totals may exceed 24 hours, otherwise Excel will reset to 0 at the 24-hour mark, which silently corrupts weekly timesheet totals.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Convert 7 Hours 48 Minutes to Decimal
Problem: A worker clocked 7 hours and 48 minutes. Convert to decimal hours for payroll.
- Minutes portion = 48 ÷ 60 = 0.8
- Decimal hours = 7 + 0.8 = 7.8 hours
- Pay at $16/hr = 7.8 × $16 = $124.80
Example 2: Convert 0.4167 Decimal Hours to Minutes
Problem: A timesheet shows 0.4167 hours. What is that in minutes?
- Minutes = 0.4167 × 60 = 25.002 ≈ 25 minutes
- Full time: 0 hours 25 minutes (00:25:00)
Example 3: Add a Week of Time Card Entries
Problem: Five daily shifts recorded in HH:MM: 8:15, 7:50, 8:30, 8:45, 7:40. Find total hours worked as a decimal.
- 8h 15m = 8.25
- 7h 50m = 7 + (50/60) = 7.8333
- 8h 30m = 8.5
- 8h 45m = 8.75
- 7h 40m = 7 + (40/60) = 7.6667
- Total = 8.25 + 7.8333 + 8.5 + 8.75 + 7.6667 = 41.0 hours
Example 4: Decimal to Time, Convert 3.25 Hours
Problem: A project tracking system shows 3.25 hours logged. What time is that?
- Hours = 3
- Fractional part = 0.25
- Minutes = 0.25 × 60 = 15 minutes
- Result: 3 hours 15 minutes (03:15:00)
Example 5: Excel Timesheet, Hours Worked Between Two Times
Problem: Start time 09:20, end time 17:55. Calculate hours worked in decimal using Excel.
- Difference = 17:55 − 09:20 = 8 hours 35 minutes
- As a fraction of a day: enter both times in Excel, subtract: =B1−A1
- Multiply by 24: =(B1−A1)*24 = 8.5833 decimal hours
- In this calculator: enter 8h 35m → result is 8.5833
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you convert time to decimal?
Hours as a whole number, plus minutes ÷ 60, plus seconds ÷ 3600. For 2 hours 45 minutes: 2 + (45 ÷ 60) = 2 + 0.75 = 2.75 decimal hours. The most common mistake is dividing by 100, minutes are out of 60, not 100.
How do you convert decimal hours back to hours and minutes?
The whole number is the hours. Multiply the decimal part by 60 to get minutes. For 3.25: hours = 3, minutes = 0.25 × 60 = 15 → 3 hours 15 minutes. Use Decimal → Time mode in the calculator above.
What are 15, 30, and 45 minutes as decimals?
15 min = 0.25, 30 min = 0.5, 45 min = 0.75, 60 min = 1.0. These four values cover the most common payroll increments. Any other minute value is simply minutes ÷ 60: 20 min = 0.3333, 40 min = 0.6667.
How do you calculate decimal hours for payroll and timesheets?
Convert each shift to decimal hours (whole hours + minutes ÷ 60), then add the decimals. Never add HH:MM values directly, time arithmetic carries over at 60 instead of 10, which causes rounding errors. Once you have a decimal total, multiply by the hourly rate: 16.25 hours × $20/hr = $325. See Example 3 for a full week calculation.
How do you convert time to decimal in Excel?
If times are in Excel's native time format, use =(end_time − start_time)*24. If hours and minutes are in separate cells as plain numbers: =hours+(minutes/60). For text strings like "2:45": =HOUR(TIMEVALUE(A1))+MINUTE(TIMEVALUE(A1))/60.
Why do you divide by 60 and not 100?
There are 60 minutes in an hour, not 100. Time uses base 60 (sexagesimal), while decimals use base 10. If time were decimal, 1:30 would mean 1.30 hours, but it does not. 1:30 means 1 + 30/60 = 1.5 hours. That mismatch is the entire reason conversion is necessary.
What is 1.5 hours in hours and minutes?
1 hour 30 minutes. The whole number is the hours; 0.5 × 60 = 30 minutes. More examples: 2.25 = 2h 15m, 4.75 = 4h 45m, 7.333 = 7h 20m.
What is 0.25 hours in minutes?
0.25 × 60 = 15 minutes. One quarter of an hour. Payroll systems that round to the nearest quarter-hour record time as .00, .25, .50, or .75 past any given hour.
References
- Calculate time difference in Excel, Microsoft Support: official Excel guidance on time arithmetic, the *24 conversion, and HH:MM formatting.
- Fair Labor Standards Act, US Department of Labor: federal rules governing payroll calculation, overtime, and recordkeeping requirements for hourly workers.