Overnight Shift Calculator
Calculate hours for a shift that starts on one day and ends after midnight. Enter your start time, end time, and unpaid breaks to see gross shift length, net hours worked, decimal hours, the split before and after midnight, and optional estimated pay.
Calculate an overnight shift
Midnight rollover is detected automatically, with manual control for unusual cases.
Pay and shift premium (optional)
Common overnight shifts
Click an example to load itWhat is an Overnight Shift Calculator?
An Overnight Shift Calculator finds the length of a work shift that crosses midnight. It treats an end time earlier than the start time as occurring on the following day, then subtracts unpaid break time to calculate net hours worked.
This is useful for nurses, security staff, hospitality workers, warehouse teams, transportation workers, manufacturing employees, and anyone whose schedule begins in the evening and finishes the next morning.
How overnight shift hours are calculated
Ordinary subtraction fails when the clock-out time is numerically earlier than the clock-in time. For example, 6:00 AM looks earlier than 10:00 PM even though it occurs eight hours later when the shift crosses midnight.
A shift from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is therefore 8 hours gross. With a 30-minute unpaid break, net worked time is 7 hours 30 minutes, or 7.50 decimal hours.
How to use the calculator
- Enter the time your shift starts.
- Enter the time your shift ends.
- Leave the end-day setting on automatic for a normal overnight shift.
- Enter the total number of unpaid break minutes.
- Read your gross duration, net hours, decimal hours, and the split around midnight.
- Optionally add an hourly rate and a shift premium to estimate gross shift pay.
Example: 10 PM to 6 AM with a 30-minute break
The shift contains two hours before midnight and six hours after midnight:
| Segment | Time | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Before midnight | 10:00 PM to 12:00 AM | 2h 00m |
| After midnight | 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM | 6h 00m |
| Gross shift | 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM | 8h 00m |
| Unpaid break | Deduction | 30m |
| Net worked | After break deduction | 7h 30m |
Gross shift time vs. net worked time
Gross shift time is the full elapsed time from clock-in to clock-out. Net worked time is the gross duration after subtracting unpaid breaks.
If a break is paid and already counts as work time, do not deduct it again. The calculator does not decide whether a break should legally be paid or unpaid; it uses the break treatment you enter.
Hours before and after midnight
The calculator separates the gross shift into the portion worked before midnight and the portion after midnight. This makes the rollover easy to check manually and can also help when reviewing schedules that span two calendar dates.
Because the calculator asks only for total unpaid break minutes, it does not assign the break to either calendar day. The before-midnight and after-midnight figures are therefore gross segments, while the net total is the payroll-style result after the break deduction.
Decimal hours for overnight shifts
Decimal hours express minutes as fractions of an hour. For example, 30 minutes equals 0.50 hours and 45 minutes equals 0.75 hours.
So a net overnight shift of 7 hours 30 minutes equals 7.50 decimal hours. For standalone conversions, use the Decimal Hours Calculator.
Overnight shift pay and shift premiums
If you enter an hourly rate, the calculator multiplies your net worked hours by that rate to estimate base gross pay. You can also enter an optional shift premium if one applies to the shift you are modeling.
The premium can be entered either as an extra amount per paid hour or as a percentage of base pay. The calculator does not assume that night work automatically receives extra pay, and it does not determine whether a premium is legally required. Employer policies, collective agreements, and local rules can differ.
What if the start and end times are the same?
A time-only entry such as 10:00 PM to 10:00 PM is ambiguous. It could mean a zero-hour same-day entry or a full 24-hour period. When automatic detection is selected, this calculator does not guess. Choose Same day or Next day explicitly.
What if the shift does not actually cross midnight?
The automatic setting also works for same-day shifts. If the end time is later than the start time, the calculator treats both times as belonging to the same calendar day. For routine daytime shifts, however, the Work Hours Calculator is the more direct tool.
Common overnight shift examples
| Start | End | Gross | Break | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 PM | 6:00 AM | 8h | 30m | 7h 30m |
| 11:00 PM | 7:00 AM | 8h | 30m | 7h 30m |
| 7:00 PM | 7:00 AM | 12h | 60m | 11h |
| 9:30 PM | 5:30 AM | 8h | 30m | 7h 30m |
| 11:30 PM | 4:15 AM | 4h 45m | 15m | 4h 30m |
Daylight saving time limitation
Overnight Shift Calculator vs. other tools
Work Hours Calculator
Best for ordinary single shifts when you want total worked time from a start time, end time, and breaks.
Clock Out Calculator
Best when you know when you started and how many hours you need to work, but you want to find the time you can leave.
Time Card Calculator
Best for a full week of clock-in and clock-out entries, breaks, overtime, and estimated pay.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
How many hours is 10 PM to 6 AM?
From 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM the next day is 8 hours gross. With a 30-minute unpaid break, net worked time is 7 hours 30 minutes.
How many hours is 11 PM to 7 AM?
From 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM the next day is 8 hours gross. Subtract any unpaid break to get net worked time.
How does the calculator know the shift crosses midnight?
With automatic detection, an end time earlier than the start time is treated as occurring on the following day. You can also force the end day manually.
Does the calculator subtract lunch breaks?
Yes. Enter the total number of unpaid break minutes and they are deducted from the gross shift duration.
Can I calculate overnight shift pay?
Yes. Enter an hourly rate to estimate base gross pay. If your employer applies a shift premium, you can optionally add an extra amount per hour or a percentage of base pay.
Does night work automatically receive extra pay?
This calculator does not assume that it does. Shift premiums depend on the employer, agreement, and rules that apply to the worker. Only enter a premium when it applies to the calculation you are modeling.
Does this account for daylight saving time?
No. The calculator uses time-of-day values without calendar dates, so daylight saving clock changes are not automatically included.
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