--- title: "Minutes to Decimal Hours: Chart and Formula | MCC Solutions" description: "Turn 8 hours 20 minutes into 8.33 hours for timesheets and invoices: the minutes-to-decimal formula, a quick chart, and a free converter that works both ways." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/tools/guides/how-to-convert-hours-and-minutes-to-decimal" --- Guide · Updated October 24, 2026 # How to Convert Hours and Minutes to Decimal Hours Payroll software and invoices often want time as a decimal, but clocks show minutes. The conversion is one division. By [Matthew Coleman](/about), MCC Solutions ## The rule Divide the minutes by 60 and add the result to the hours. Fifteen minutes is 0.25, thirty minutes is 0.5 and forty-five minutes is 0.75. ## Worked examples 8 hours 20 minutes is 8 + 20/60 = 8.33 hours. To go the other way, take 6.4 hours: the whole number is 6 hours, and 0.4 x 60 = 24 minutes, so 6 hours 24 minutes. ## Rounding and pay Employers and freelancers sometimes round to the nearest quarter hour or tenth of an hour, but the rules can be strict for hourly employees. Follow your employer's policy and the rules that apply where you work; this calculator shows the unrounded value. ## Common mistake Treating 7:30 as 7.30. Thirty minutes is half an hour, so 7:30 is 7.5 hours. Reading minutes as hundredths understates the time. ## Try the calculator Run your own numbers in the free [hours and minutes to decimal calculator](/bookkeeping/hours-and-minutes-to-decimal-calculator). It works in your browser and nothing you enter is saved or sent. ## Common questions **Why does 7:30 equal 7.5?** Thirty minutes is half of 60, so it is 0.5 of an hour. **How do I convert minutes only?** Divide by 60. For 50 minutes, 50/60 is 0.83. **Can I use this for invoices?** Yes, as long as you and the client agree on how to round. This guide is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Rates, fees and rules change, so confirm current terms with the lender, store or agency involved. All dollar figures are invented examples. Free tool [### Hours and minutes to decimal calculator Enter your own numbers. Private, runs in your browser. Open the calculator →](/bookkeeping/hours-and-minutes-to-decimal-calculator) More guides - [How Much House Can You Afford? Budget to Price](/tools/guides/how-much-house-can-you-afford) - [Closing Costs First-Time Buyers Should Plan For](/tools/guides/closing-costs-first-time-buyers-should-plan-for) - [How to Build a Monthly Household Budget in Six Steps](/tools/guides/how-to-build-a-monthly-household-budget) [All guides](/tools/guides) Reach families handling estates, aging parents and life changes who read this guide: [advertise here](/advertise#family). ## Minutes to decimal hours chart Each row is the minutes divided by 60, rounded to four places. Add the result to the whole hours. | Minutes | Decimal hours | | --- | --- | | 1 min | 0.0167 | | 5 min | 0.0833 | | 10 min | 0.1667 | | 12 min | 0.2 | | 15 min | 0.25 | | 20 min | 0.3333 | | 25 min | 0.4167 | | 30 min | 0.5 | | 35 min | 0.5833 | | 40 min | 0.6667 | | 45 min | 0.75 | | 50 min | 0.8333 | | 55 min | 0.9167 | | 59 min | 0.9833 | ### Add up a week of time Five shifts of 7:45, 8:20, 6:50, 7:30 and 9:05 convert to 7.75 + 8.33 + 6.83 + 7.5 + 9.08. Add the minutes first to avoid rounding drift: the hours are 37 and the minutes are 150, which is 2 hours 30 minutes, so the total is 39.5 hours. At $22 an hour that is $869.00. ### Tenth-of-an-hour systems Some timekeeping systems count in six-minute steps, where 6 minutes is 0.1 hour, 12 minutes is 0.2, 18 minutes is 0.3 and so on. If your employer rounds time this way, follow the written policy; this page shows the exact, unrounded value. ### Convert decimal hours back to minutes Multiply the decimal part by 60. For 5.35 hours: 0.35 x 60 = 21, so 5 hours 21 minutes. ### If you pay people by the hour Payroll runs on decimal hours, not hours and minutes. An employee who works 38 hours 45 minutes is paid for 38.75 hours, so at $20 an hour the gross pay is $775.00. Entering 38.45 by mistake would pay $769.00, a $6.00 error that repeats every pay period. Hours past 40 in a week can trigger overtime for covered employees; see the [overtime pay calculator](/bookkeeping/overtime-pay-calculator), and the [employee cost calculator](/bookkeeping/employee-cost-calculator) for what an hourly worker costs once taxes and benefits are added. Pay rules vary by state and by whether a worker is an employee or a contractor, so check with your payroll provider or bookkeeper. MCC Solutions LLC offers [small business bookkeeping](/bookkeeping/) and payroll support from Cranford, NJ. Do it yourself ### Timesheet and Pay Workbook Time in and time out become decimal hours, the overtime split and gross pay for each person, for a one or two-week pay period. [See what's inside ($19)](/toolkits/timesheet-and-pay-workbook) [Free sample](/toolkits/timesheet-and-pay-workbook#free-starter)14-day full refund Free tool ### Hours and minutes to decimal calculator Convert time worked to decimal hours for payroll or invoices, one entry or a whole week. It runs in your browser and nothing you enter is saved. [Open the hours and minutes to decimal calculator](/bookkeeping/hours-and-minutes-to-decimal-calculator) ## Need help with your business finances? [Contact us](/contact)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)