How to Convert Hours and Minutes to Decimal Time
To convert hours and minutes to decimal time, divide the minutes by 60 and add that fraction to the whole hours. This format is often used in timesheets and spreadsheets.
Practical timekeeping guide · ShiftHours
The formula
Decimal hours = whole hours + (minutes ÷ 60). For 6 hours 45 minutes, calculate 45 ÷ 60 = 0.75, then add 6 to get 6.75 decimal hours.
For 4 hours 20 minutes, 20 ÷ 60 = 0.3333…, so the result is about 4.33 hours if rounded to two decimal places.
Conversion examples
2 hours 15 minutes = 2.25 hours. 3 hours 30 minutes = 3.50 hours. 5 hours 6 minutes = 5.10 hours. 9 hours 45 minutes = 9.75 hours.
The number after the decimal is a fraction of an hour. It is not a base-100 minutes field.
When rounding matters
Some time systems store more than two decimal places, while others round to a set increment or number of decimal places. Follow the required process for your timesheet. Avoid rounding every shift if you can calculate the total precisely first.
If you are using a spreadsheet, keep a consistent format and make sure duration values are not accidentally treated as times of day.
Try a calculation
For a shift of 7 hours 42 minutes, calculate 42 ÷ 60 = 0.7, then add 7. The result is 7.70 decimal hours.
Use the ShiftHours calculator to see a net shift duration in decimal hours after unpaid breaks.
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.
Worked conversion: 7 hours 20 minutes
Divide 20 minutes by 60 to get 0.333… hours. Add that to 7, giving approximately 7.33 decimal hours when rounded to two decimal places. Keep the original hours-and-minutes value if exact minute-level detail is needed.
Related resources
Open the work hours calculator · Browse all ShiftHours articles · Decimal hours chart