Decimal Hours Converter
Convert hours and minutes to decimal hours for payroll — and back again — in both directions.
Time to decimal
Decimal hours
Decimal to time
Hours & minutes
Payroll and invoicing systems usually want decimal hours: 7 hours 30 minutes becomes 7.50, not 7.30. This converter goes both ways — type a time in hours and minutes to get the decimal, or type a decimal figure to see the hours and minutes it represents — so you never multiply an hourly rate by the wrong number again.
The method
How this calculation works
- 01To convert to decimal, divide the minutes by 60 and add them to the hours: 30 ÷ 60 = 0.5, so 7h 30m = 7.50.
- 02Decimal hours round to two places, which matches how most payroll exports store time.
- 03To convert back, multiply the fractional part by 60 to get minutes: 0.25 × 60 = 15, so 7.25 = 7h 15m.
- 04Minutes round to the nearest whole number when converting from a decimal.
- —Common conversions: 15m = 0.25, 20m = 0.33, 30m = 0.50, 40m = 0.67, 45m = 0.75.
- —Decimal hours are not the same as the clock reading — 7.30 on a payslip means 7h 18m, not 7h 30m.
- —Values are kept positive; this converts a duration, not a clock time.
Worked examples
7 hours 30 minutes to decimal
7.50 decimal hours
6 hours 20 minutes to decimal
6.33 decimal hours
8.75 decimal hours back to time
8 hours 45 minutes
Frequently asked questions
- How do you convert minutes to decimal hours?
- Divide the minutes by 60. So 15 minutes is 15 ÷ 60 = 0.25 hours, and 45 minutes is 0.75 hours. Add that to the whole hours: 2 hours 45 minutes is 2.75 decimal hours.
- Why does payroll use decimal hours instead of hours and minutes?
- Because pay is hourly rate × hours. Multiplying a rate by 7.5 is straightforward, whereas multiplying by '7 hours 30 minutes' is not. Decimal hours let payroll and invoicing do the maths in one step.
- Is 7.30 the same as 7 hours 30 minutes?
- No — this is the most common mistake. 7.30 decimal hours is 7 hours and 0.30 × 60 = 18 minutes. 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.50 in decimal. The converter keeps the two formats straight for you.
- Does InstaClock export decimal hours?
- Yes. InstaClock tracks your time as you go and can present totals in the format you need, so you can hand off decimal-hour figures without converting anything by hand.
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