Payroll hours calculator

Type each employee’s hours for the pay period (40:30 or 40.5) and their rate. You get payroll-ready decimal hours, overtime for each workweek, gross pay and a CSV for your payroll system.

Pay period

WeeklyTwo weeks

Overtime

Decimal hours to

–

0.00payroll hours (0:00)

Type each employee’s hours as 40:30 or 40.5.

Regular hours: 0.00
Overtime hours: 0.00
Gross pay: –add pay rates to see it

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How to use the payroll hours calculator

Pick the pay period: weekly, or two weeks (then you enter each workweek’s hours separately).
Pick the overtime rule: over 40 hours a week (US federal), a custom weekly limit, or no overtime.
For each employee, type a name, the hours from their time card (as 38:45, 38.75 or 38h 45m) and their hourly rate. Press Add an employee for more rows.
Choose how decimal hours are rounded (hundredths, tenths or quarter hours), then download the CSV to import or copy into your payroll software, or the PDF for your records.

Example: a two-week payroll

Employee	Week 1	Week 2	Rate	Regular	Overtime	Gross pay
Ana	42:30	38:00	$19.00	78.00	2.50	$1,553.25
Ben	40:00	40:00	$22.50	80.00	0.00	$1,800.00
Chris	35:15	46:45	$17.25	75.25	6.75	$1,472.72

Chris worked 82 hours over the two weeks, but the overtime is 6.75 hours, not 2: each workweek counts on its own, so week 1’s 35.25 hours can’t make up for week 2’s 46.75. Gross pay for Chris: 75.25 × $17.25 + 6.75 × $25.875 = $1,298.06 + $174.66 = $1,472.72.

Decimal hours and rounding for payroll

Payroll software needs hours as decimals. The calculator converts minutes by dividing by 60 (38:45 = 38.75) and then rounds to the step you choose: hundredths (0.01 hour, the most common), tenths (6 minutes) or quarter hours (15 minutes). Rounding the period total, rather than each day, keeps the error small. If your time clock already rounds each punch, use its totals as they are.

Why the workweek matters for payroll

Under US federal law, overtime is owed for hours over 40 in each workweek, a fixed seven-day period you set as the employer. Paying every two weeks doesn’t change that, so a two-week period has two overtime checks (US Department of Labor Fact Sheet 23). States can add daily overtime: California pays overtime after 8 hours in a day, so for California employees use the time card calculator with each day’s hours.

What gross pay leaves out

Gross pay here is hours × rate, plus overtime at the multiplier. It is before federal, state and local tax, Social Security and Medicare, benefits and other deductions. If an employee earns bonuses, commissions or shift differentials, their overtime rate is based on a higher “regular rate” than the hourly wage alone. Use your payroll provider for the final pay.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate payroll hours?

Add up each employee’s worked time for the pay period from their time cards, convert it to decimal hours by dividing the minutes by 60, then split each workweek into regular hours (up to 40) and overtime. 38 hours 45 minutes is 38.75 payroll hours.

How do I convert hours and minutes to decimal for payroll?

Divide the minutes by 60 and add them to the hours: 40:20 is 40 + 20 ÷ 60 = 40.33 hours. The minutes to decimal chart lists every minute.

How is overtime counted in a biweekly payroll?

Per workweek. Enter week 1 and week 2 separately: the calculator applies the 40-hour limit to each week, then adds them. Combining the two weeks into one 80-hour check would underpay overtime.

Should I round payroll hours to tenths or quarter hours?

Hundredths are the most exact. Rounding to tenths (6 minutes) or quarter hours (15 minutes) is allowed under federal rules only if it averages out over time and doesn’t shortchange employees. Some states restrict it further.

Can I import the results into my payroll software?

Download CSV gives one row per employee with decimal hours, regular and overtime hours, rate and gross pay. Most payroll systems accept a CSV import or let you copy the figures across.