24-Hour Time Converter for Timesheets
Convert 24-hour time to AM/PM time for payroll entries, read midnight and noon correctly, and use military-time shifts in a time card calculator.
How 24-hour time maps to AM/PM
24-hour time runs from 00:00 to 23:59. Times from 00:00 to 11:59 are AM; 12:00 to 12:59 are PM; 13:00 through 23:59 become PM after subtracting 12 from the hour. So 14:30 is 2:30 PM, 18:00 is 6:00 PM, and 23:15 is 11:15 PM. The Time Card Calculator accepts normal clock entries, and this guide helps you translate military-time schedules before entering them.
Noon and midnight are the two places people slip
00:00 is midnight at the start of the day. 12:00 is noon, not midnight. If a shift starts at 00:15, that means 12:15 AM. If it starts at 12:15, that means 12:15 PM. Write the AM/PM label before you key it into a payroll sheet; it is easier than correcting a 12-hour error later.
Quick conversion examples
Use these anchors: 07:00 = 7:00 AM, 09:30 = 9:30 AM, 12:00 = 12:00 PM, 13:00 = 1:00 PM, 14:30 = 2:30 PM, 16:45 = 4:45 PM, 20:00 = 8:00 PM, 23:59 = 11:59 PM. For one shift, use the Hours Calculator. For a full week, use the Time Card Calculator.
Overnight shifts need a next-day check
Military time does not remove the midnight problem. A shift from 22:00 to 06:00 crosses into the next day. Count forward from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, which is 8 hours. Do not subtract 22 from 6. If the shift crosses midnight, use the overnight setting in the Hours Calculator before sending the total into payroll.
Frequently asked questions
14:30 is 2:30 PM. For 24-hour times after 12:59, subtract 12 from the hour and use PM.
00:00 is midnight at the start of the day. 12:00 is noon.
Convert it to AM/PM first if the timesheet uses 12-hour entries. For example, 16:45 becomes 4:45 PM.
It crosses midnight, so count forward into the next day. 22:00 to 06:00 is 8 hours.