How to Calculate a 9-to-5 Workday
A 9 AM to 5 PM schedule spans 8 hours. If you take an unpaid lunch during that period, the net paid work time is shorter—for example, a 30-minute unpaid lunch leaves 7 hours and 30 minutes.
Practical timekeeping guide · ShiftHours
Calculate the scheduled span
From 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM is 8 hours. This is the elapsed time from the start to the end, before subtracting any unpaid break.
In minutes, the total is 480 minutes. Keeping the calculation in minutes can make break subtraction easier.
Subtract lunch if unpaid
With a 30-minute unpaid lunch, 480 − 30 = 450 minutes, or 7 hours 30 minutes. With a 60-minute unpaid lunch, net time is 7 hours. If lunch is paid, do not subtract it from paid time.
The correct treatment depends on your workplace policy and the rules that apply to you.
Compare different schedules
A 9 AM to 5:30 PM schedule spans 8.5 hours. A 9 AM to 6 PM schedule spans 9 hours. Subtract the actual unpaid break duration to calculate net work time.
Do not assume that “9 to 5” always means 8 paid hours; check how the break is treated.
Calculate your own day
Enter clock-in, clock-out, and unpaid break minutes into the ShiftHours work hours calculator. For weekly totals, use the weekly calculator on the same page.
Use the free ShiftHours work hours calculator to calculate shift length, subtract unpaid breaks, and view decimal hours. For weekly totals, try the weekly calculator.
Example: a standard 9-to-5 schedule
From 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM is eight elapsed hours. With a 30-minute unpaid lunch, the net total is 7 hours and 30 minutes (7.50 decimal hours). If lunch is paid under the applicable policy, the calculation may differ.
Related resources
Open the work hours calculator · Browse all ShiftHours articles · Decimal hours chart