How to Calculate Time Between Two Times Overnight
Calculate hours between two times when a shift crosses midnight. Examples for 10 PM to 6 AM, lunch breaks, and weekly timesheets.
Count forward into the next day
An overnight shift breaks simple subtraction. If you work 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, do not subtract 10 from 6. Count forward: 10 PM to midnight is 2 hours, then midnight to 6 AM is 6 hours. Total: 8 hours. The Hours Calculator has an overnight option for this exact case.
The formula if you want to do it by hand
When the end time is earlier than the start time, add 24 hours to the end time before subtracting. In 24-hour time, 22:00 to 06:00 becomes 22 to 30, so the duration is 8 hours. A 23:30 to 02:15 shift becomes 23:30 to 26:15, which is 2 hours 45 minutes.
Subtract unpaid breaks after the overnight total
Calculate the full span first, then subtract only unpaid break time. A 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM shift is 8.5 hours. With a 30-minute unpaid meal period, paid time is 8.0 hours. A paid rest break stays in the total. For a week with several overnight shifts, the Time Card Calculator is safer than hand totals.
Overtime still belongs to the workweek
Overnight work can make weekly totals harder to see, but federal overtime is still based on hours worked over 40 in a fixed workweek. Do not split a single overnight shift into two separate days and lose the total. Count the shift, assign it to the employer’s workweek rule, then check overtime with the Overtime Pay Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
8 hours. Count 10 PM to midnight as 2 hours, then midnight to 6 AM as 6 hours.
Treat the end time as being on the next day. In 24-hour time, add 24 hours to the end time before subtracting.
After. First calculate the full overnight span, then subtract unpaid break minutes.
Yes. The paid hours count toward the workweek total. Federal overtime generally starts after 40 hours in the workweek.