Skip to main content
ilovecalcs logoilovecalcs.

Other · Live

Time Card Calculator, hours, overtime, and gross pay.

Enter your clock-in time, clock-out time, and break duration for each day of the week. Automatically calculate total hours, regular time, overtime (weekly or daily), and gross pay, with a full day-by-day pay breakdown.

How it worksReal-time

Time card settings

Weekly time card

$
hrs
×
hrs

0 = off

Daily entries

Enter clock-in, clock-out, and break for each day

Regular7:30
min
Regular7:30
min
Regular7:30
min
Regular7:30
min
Regular7:30
min
min
min
Total hours
37:30
37.50 decimal hours
Regular hours
37.50h
Up to 40h / week
Overtime hours
0.00h
At 1.5× rate

Enter an hourly rate above to see gross pay

Payroll guide

How to calculate total worked hours and gross pay.

A time card (also called a timesheet) records the hours an employee works each day, including clock-in and clock-out times and any unpaid breaks. Calculating total hours from a time card involves simple subtraction for each shift plus an understanding of overtime rules that can significantly affect gross pay.

Calculating hours for one shift

The worked hours for a single shift are:

Worked hours = (Clock-out time − Clock-in time) − Unpaid break time

For example: clock in at 09:00, clock out at 17:30, 30-minute unpaid lunch. Gross shift = 8.5 hours. Net worked = 8.5 − 0.5 = 8 hours.

Midnight-crossing shifts are handled by adding 24 hours to the end time when it is earlier than the start time. A shift from 22:00 to 06:00 is treated as 22:00 to 30:00, giving 8 gross hours.

Converting time to decimal hours

Most payroll systems use decimal hours rather than hours and minutes. Convert minutes to a decimal by dividing by 60:

Decimal hours = total minutes ÷ 60

Common conversions: 15 min = 0.25 h, 30 min = 0.50 h, 45 min = 0.75 h. This calculator shows both formats — HH:MM and decimal — for easy reference.

Federal overtime rules (FLSA)

Under the US Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), most non-exempt employees must receive overtime pay for all hours worked beyond 40 hours in a workweek — a fixed, regularly recurring period of 168 consecutive hours (7 × 24).

  • Regular rate: All hours up to 40 per week are paid at the employee’s regular hourly rate.
  • Overtime rate: Hours beyond 40 are paid at least 1.5× the regular rate (commonly called "time and a half").

The FLSA does not require overtime for hours beyond 8 in a day (only beyond 40 in a week). Some states — notably California — impose stricter daily overtime rules.

California and daily overtime rules

California Labor Code requires:

  • 1.5× for hours over 8 hours/day and for the first 8 hours worked on the 7th consecutive day of a workweek.
  • 2× for hours over 12 hours/day and for all hours beyond 8 on the 7th consecutive day.

This calculator supports daily overtime thresholds. Set the “Daily OT after” field to 8 hours to enable California-style daily overtime. Leave it at 0 to use the standard FLSA weekly-only rule.

Gross pay calculation

Once hours are split between regular and overtime, gross pay is:

Gross pay = (regular hours × rate) + (overtime hours × rate × multiplier)

For example: 45 hours worked at $20/hour with 1.5× overtime:

  • Regular pay: 40 × $20.00 = $800.00
  • Overtime pay: 5 × $20.00 × 1.5 = $150.00
  • Gross pay: $950.00

Note that gross pay is before any deductions (taxes, benefits, garnishments). Net take-home pay will be lower depending on the employee’s withholding elections and benefits.

Running weekly total and OT attribution

This calculator processes daily entries in order (Monday through Sunday) and maintains a running total of hours. The first days fill the regular-time bucket up to the weekly threshold (default 40 hours). Once the threshold is crossed mid-week, any remaining hours, including the straddle portion on the day the threshold is reached — are attributed to overtime.

If daily overtime is enabled, hours beyond the daily threshold are marked as overtime regardless of the weekly running total. The two rules are applied together, the higher protection applies.

What is a workweek?

The FLSA defines a workweek as a fixed, regularly recurring 7-day period. Employers choose the workweek start day; the most common are Sunday and Monday. Hours cannot be averaged across multiple workweeks; each week is calculated independently. This means a 55-hour week followed by a 25-hour week = 15 OT hours (not 0 OT hours, as averaging would suggest).

Exempt vs. non-exempt employees

Overtime rules apply to non-exempt employees — those not exempt under the FLSA’s executive, administrative, professional, computer, or outside-sales exemptions. As of 2024, non-exempt employees must earn less than $684/week ($35,568/year) to be classified as non-exempt solely based on salary level.

This calculator is appropriate for hourly workers and non-exempt salaried employees. Exempt salaried employees are paid a fixed salary regardless of hours worked and do not accrue overtime.

Tips for accurate time tracking

  • Record actual times, not rounded. Employers may round to the nearest 5 or 15 minutes, but rounding must be neutral (not systematically benefiting the employer).
  • Distinguish paid from unpaid breaks. Meal periods of 30 minutes or more are typically unpaid; rest breaks of 20 minutes or less are generally paid time under the FLSA.
  • Track your workweek start day. The day a workweek begins affects when the 40-hour threshold resets, which can matter if you regularly work across weekends.
  • Keep records for at least 2 years. The FLSA requires employers to retain payroll records for 2 years; state laws sometimes require longer retention periods.