How to convert minutes to decimal hours
Decimal hours = minutes ÷ 60. An hour has 60 minutes, so each minute is 1/60 of an hour, about 0.02.
- 45 minutes: 45 ÷ 60 = 0.75 hours
- 20 minutes: 20 ÷ 60 = 0.3333… ≈ 0.33 hours
- 7 hours 45 minutes: 7 + 45 ÷ 60 = 7 + 0.75 = 7.75 hours
- 90 minutes: 90 ÷ 60 = 1.50 hours
Keep the whole hours as they are and convert only the minutes. Don't copy the minutes across as the decimal: 7:45 is 7.75 hours, not 7.45.
Using the converter
- Type the time in the left box: minutes (
45), hours and minutes (7:45) or7h 45m. - Read the decimal hours in the right box. Or type decimal hours on the right (
7.33) to get hours and minutes. - Press Copy to paste the result into your timesheet or payroll software.
Payroll example: a week of hours to decimal
An employee paid $18.75 an hour worked these hours:
| Day | Hours:minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 7:45 | 7.75 |
| Tuesday | 8:20 | 8.33 |
| Wednesday | 6:50 | 6.83 |
| Thursday | 8:05 | 8.08 |
| Friday | 7:35 | 7.58 |
| Total | 38:35 | 38.58 |
- Add up the minutes: 7:45 + 8:20 + 6:50 + 8:05 + 7:35 = 38:35 (2,315 minutes).
- Convert the total once: 2,315 ÷ 60 = 38.5833… ≈ 38.58 hours.
- Multiply by the rate: 38.58 × $18.75 = $723.38 gross pay.
Adding the rounded daily decimals gives 38.57 instead of 38.58, because each day was rounded separately. Converting the total avoids that drift.
Entering 38:35 as 38.35 would pay $719.06: $4.32 too little. To add up the week from clock-in and clock-out times, use the time card calculator, which shows every total in both formats.
Decimal to minutes: converting decimal hours back
Minutes = decimal hours × 60. Keep the whole hours and multiply only the part after the point:
- 7.8 hours: 0.8 × 60 = 48 minutes, so 7:48
- 0.33 hours: 0.33 × 60 = 19.8 minutes, which rounds to 20 minutes
- 7.33 hours: 7 hours + 0.33 × 60 = 7:20
| Decimal hours | Minutes | Decimal hours | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.05 | 3 | 0.55 | 33 |
| 0.10 | 6 | 0.60 | 36 |
| 0.15 | 9 | 0.65 | 39 |
| 0.20 | 12 | 0.70 | 42 |
| 0.25 | 15 | 0.75 | 45 |
| 0.30 | 18 | 0.80 | 48 |
| 0.35 | 21 | 0.85 | 51 |
| 0.40 | 24 | 0.90 | 54 |
| 0.45 | 27 | 0.95 | 57 |
| 0.50 | 30 | 1.00 | 60 |
How the converter rounds
- Minutes to decimal: the exact value is minutes ÷ 60, shown to two decimal places. With whole minutes there is never a tie, so 20 minutes (0.3333…) is always 0.33.
- Decimal to minutes: hours × 60, rounded to the nearest whole minute (halves up). The exact minutes are shown too, e.g. 0.33 hours = 19.8 minutes.
- Round trip: a two-place decimal is never more than 0.3 minutes from the real time, so converting any whole number of minutes to decimal and back gives the same minutes.
Need the hours between two clock times first? The hours calculator works them out, and the time calculator adds or subtracts hours and minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you convert minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60. For example 45 ÷ 60 = 0.75, so 45 minutes is 0.75 hours. For hours and minutes, keep the hours and add the minutes ÷ 60: 7 hours 45 minutes = 7 + 0.75 = 7.75 hours. Payroll usually rounds to two decimal places.
How do you convert decimal hours back to minutes?
Multiply the decimal part by 60. 7.8 hours = 7 hours + 0.8 × 60 = 7 hours 48 minutes (7:48). When the decimal was rounded, round the minutes too: 0.33 × 60 = 19.8, which is 20 minutes.
What are 15, 30 and 45 minutes in decimal?
15 minutes is 0.25 hours, 30 minutes is 0.50 hours and 45 minutes is 0.75 hours: a quarter, half and three quarters of an hour. Other common values: 10 minutes = 0.17, 20 minutes = 0.33, 40 minutes = 0.67, 50 minutes = 0.83.
Why is 7:45 not the same as 7.45 hours?
An hour has 60 minutes, not 100. 7:45 means 7 hours and 45 minutes, which is 7.75 hours. 7.45 hours is only 7 hours 27 minutes. Typing hours:minutes into a payroll or spreadsheet field that expects decimals under-counts the time.
Why is 20 minutes 0.33 and not 0.2?
20 minutes is one third of an hour. 20 ÷ 60 = 0.3333…, which rounds to 0.33. The digits after the point are hundredths of an hour, so 0.2 hours would be only 12 minutes.
How do I convert hours and minutes to decimal in Excel?
If the cell holds a time such as 7:45, multiply it by 24: =A2*24, and format the result as a number. Excel stores times as fractions of a day, so 7:45 is 0.3229…, and × 24 gives 7.75. Round with =ROUND(A2*24,2). To go back, divide decimal hours by 24 and format the cell as [h]:mm.
How do payroll systems round minutes to decimal?
Most round each total to two decimal places (hundredths of an hour). Add up the minutes first and convert the total once: rounding each day and adding the decimals can be off by a cent or more. A two-place decimal is always within 0.3 minutes of the real time, so 0.33 still means 20 minutes. Check your employer's rounding policy.
Is decimal time the same as hundredths of an hour?
Yes. Decimal hours to two places are hundredths of an hour: 0.01 hour is 36 seconds, and 0.25 means 25 hundredths of an hour (15 minutes). Some employers use tenths of an hour instead (6-minute steps: 0.1 = 6 minutes), so check which one your timesheet asks for.
Can I print the minutes to decimal chart?
Yes. Use the Print chart button above the chart. Only the 1–59 minute chart is printed, laid out to fit one page, so you can pin it next to the time clock.