Timesheet Generator & Time Card Calculator

How to fill out a timesheet

1. Add your details. Your name, the client or employer, and the project. Add an approver if someone signs off on your hours, and a reference such as a PO or invoice number if the client asks for one.
2. Set the period. Choose weekly or bi-weekly, the day your week starts, and any date in the first week. Each row is labelled with its date.
3. Enter each day. Type the start time, end time and unpaid break in minutes. 9:00, 9am, 17:30 and 5:30 pm all work. Use Add entry for a split shift, a second client or an evening session.
4. Tag the work. A project or task on each entry gives you an hours-by-project breakdown, which is what most clients want to see.
5. Add pay. Enter your hourly rate and, only if it applies to you, an overtime rule.
6. Export. Download the PDF, sign it and send it with your invoice, or export a CSV for a spreadsheet or payroll.

Everything saves automatically in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

How to calculate hours worked

Hours worked = (End time − Start time) − Unpaid break

Subtract in hours and minutes, then convert to decimal at the end. If the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift crossed midnight, so add 24 hours to the end time first.

Worked example: a day shift and an overnight shift

• Monday, 8:45 AM to 5:15 PM, 30-minute lunch. 5:15 PM is 17:15, and 17:15 − 8:45 = 8 h 30 min. Take off the break: 8 h 00 min, or 8.00 hours.
• Friday, 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM, 45-minute break. The end is earlier than the start, so add 24 hours: 30:30 − 22:00 = 8 h 30 min. Take off 45 minutes: 7 h 45 min. Since 45 ÷ 60 = 0.75, that is 7.75 hours.

Total: 8.00 + 7.75 = 15.75 hours. At $40 an hour, 15.75 × $40 = $630.00. The overnight shift counts on Friday, the day it started, which is the usual convention and how this calculator works.

Decimal hours conversion table

Payroll and invoices use decimal hours, so 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.5, not 7.30. Divide the minutes by 60:

If you bill in tenths of an hour, every 6 minutes is 0.1: 12 minutes is 0.2, 18 is 0.3, 24 is 0.4, and so on.

Overtime basics

Overtime is time paid at a higher rate after you pass a limit, most often 1.5 times your normal rate. The rules depend on your country, state or province, and your contract. Two examples: US federal law requires overtime for non-exempt employees after 40 hours in a workweek, and California adds daily overtime after 8 hours in a day. Many other countries handle it through maximum working hours or collective agreements.

This calculator supports a weekly limit, a daily limit, or both. With both, hours already counted as daily overtime are not counted again toward the weekly limit. On a bi-weekly sheet the weekly limit applies to each week on its own, because overtime is normally judged per workweek rather than averaged across the pay period.

Freelancers and independent contractors are usually not covered by overtime laws. A higher rate for evenings, weekends or rush work applies only if your contract says so. This tool does the arithmetic; it is not legal or payroll advice, so check the rules that apply to you.

Tips for freelancers billing by the hour

• Log time the same day. Rebuilding a week from memory on Friday almost always undercounts.
• Agree on increments up front. Many contracts bill in 6-minute (0.1 hour) or 15-minute blocks. Put it in writing and use the same rounding setting here.
• Write tasks the client recognizes. "Checkout page bug fixes" gets approved; "dev work" gets questioned.
• Track non-billable time too. Logging admin and sales calls as their own project shows your real effective rate. Leave them off the client's copy.
• Get sign-off on bigger jobs. A signed or emailed approval of the timesheet settles disputes before the invoice is due.
• Decide what counts. Travel, meetings and email are billable only if you and the client agree they are.
• Watch the classic slip. 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.50 hours, not 7.30. Billing 7.30 quietly gives away 12 minutes.

Frequently asked questions