Count the working hours and minutes between two dates and times. Only time inside your business hours counts: nights, weekends, lunch breaks and holidays are skipped, which is how support SLAs and response times are measured.
Last updated:
Period
Working schedule
23:59 counts as midnight (end of day).
min
Unpaid lunch break; 0 for none.
One date per line, as YYYY-MM-DD or MM/DD/YYYY.
Enter your values to see the result.
Advertisement
Advertisement
How to use the Business Hours Calculator
Enter the start and end dates and times, such as when a ticket was opened and closed.
Set your working hours and, if you have one, the unpaid break.
Choose your working days or type custom days like Mon, Wed, Fri.
Paste holidays to skip, one date per line.
Read the business hours and check the day-by-day table or download it.
Business hours formula
For every calendar day d between the start and end:
and the result is the sum over all working days that are not holidays. Non-working days count 0. The working days figure is total business minutes ÷ minutes worked per day.
Example: 9:00–17:00, Monday to Friday. From Friday 14:30 to Wednesday 11:15: Friday 2 h 30 min + Monday 8 h + Tuesday 8 h + Wednesday 2 h 15 min = 20 h 45 min (2.59 working days), even though about 4 days and 21 hours passed on the clock.
Business hours per week for common schedules
Schedule
Hours per day
Hours per week
Hours per year (52 weeks)
9:00–17:00, Mon–Fri
8
40
2,080
9:00–17:30 with 30 min break, Mon–Fri
8
40
2,080
8:00–18:00, Mon–Fri
10
50
2,600
9:00–17:00, Mon–Sat
8
48
2,496
8:00–20:00, every day
12
84
4,368
24/7
24
168
8,736
Yearly totals are before holidays: subtract hours per day × number of holidays, e.g. 2,080 − 11 × 8 = 1,992 hours for 11 US federal holidays.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate business hours between two dates?
For each working day in the range, take the overlap between the working hours (for example 9:00–17:00) and the period you are measuring, subtract any break inside that overlap, and add the days together. Nights, weekends and holidays contribute zero.
How many business hours are in a week?
With 9:00–17:00 Monday to Friday and no unpaid break there are 8 × 5 = 40 business hours per week. With an 8:30–17:30 day and a one-hour unpaid lunch it is also 40 hours.
Does this work for SLA response times?
Yes. Support SLAs such as 'respond within 8 business hours' are measured only during business hours. Enter when the ticket was created and when it was answered, and the business hours result is the SLA time used.
What happens if the start time is outside business hours?
Time outside working hours is not counted. A ticket opened at 19:00 on Friday starts counting at 9:00 on Monday with a Monday–Friday 9–5 schedule.
Can I use different time zones?
Enter both times in the same time zone as the business hours. If the start and end were recorded in different zones, convert one of them first with a time zone converter.
Can I use a schedule that passes midnight?
No. The working day must start and end on the same date, such as 22:00 cannot be followed by 06:00. For overnight shifts, use a time card or hours calculator instead.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.