- Decimal hours = hours + minutes ÷ 60.
- Back again: minutes = decimal part × 60.
- 15 min = 0.25, 30 min = 0.50, 45 min = 0.75.
What is the formula for decimal hours?
Decimal hours equal the hours plus the minutes divided by 60, so 8 hours 20 minutes is 8 + 20 ÷ 60 = 8.33 hours.
Going the other way, keep the whole hours and multiply the leftover decimal by 60. 6.75 hours is 6 hours and 0.75 × 60 = 45 minutes.
What are minutes in decimal?
Every 5 minutes adds about 0.083 hours; the table below covers 5 to 60 minutes, rounded to two places.
| Minutes | Decimal | Minutes | Decimal | Minutes | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0.08 | 25 | 0.42 | 45 | 0.75 |
| 10 | 0.17 | 30 | 0.50 | 50 | 0.83 |
| 15 | 0.25 | 35 | 0.58 | 55 | 0.92 |
| 20 | 0.33 | 40 | 0.67 | 60 | 1.00 |
For every minute from 1 to 60, see the full minutes to decimal chart.
Is 8.30 the same as 8 hours 30 minutes?
No: 8 hours 30 minutes is 8.50 decimal hours, while 8.30 decimal hours is only 8 hours 18 minutes.
It is the most common time card slip. At $20 an hour, writing 8.30 instead of 8.50 loses 12 minutes, or $4.00, on one shift. Do that every weekday and it is $20 a week.
Can an app track hours without the conversion?
Yes. Timelog, our iPhone app, records your shifts as you clock in and out and shows hours, minutes and estimated pay, so there is nothing to convert.
It deducts breaks, handles overnight shifts and keeps a weekly timesheet on your phone. It is a personal record, not a payroll system.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert hours and minutes to decimal?
Divide the minutes by 60 and add them to the hours. 7 hours 45 minutes is 7 + 45 ÷ 60 = 7.75 hours.
How do I convert decimal hours to hours and minutes?
Keep the whole number as hours and multiply the decimal part by 60 for minutes. 8.4 hours is 8 hours and 0.4 × 60 = 24 minutes.
Is 8.30 hours the same as 8 hours 30 minutes?
No. 8 hours 30 minutes is 8.5 hours in decimal. 8.30 decimal hours is only 8 hours 18 minutes, so writing 8.30 for half past cuts 12 minutes of pay.
Why does payroll use decimal hours?
Pay is hours times rate, and that multiplication only works on a decimal. 7.75 hours × $18 = $139.50, which you can't do directly with 7:45.
How many decimal places should I use?
Two decimal places is standard on time cards and pay stubs. The converter also shows four places so you can see where rounding happens.