How to calculate pay from decimal hours
Once you have your decimal-hours figure, multiply it by your hourly rate.
The formula is:
Decimal hours × hourly rate = gross pay
For example:
7.75 hours × £14.00 = £108.50
So if you worked 7.75 decimal hours at £14 per hour, the basic gross pay for that time would be £108.50.
If your decimal-hours figure is already correct, there is no need to convert the time again before multiplying it by your hourly rate.
Worked example: one shift
Suppose you worked 8.75 hours and your hourly rate is £15.00.
The calculation is:
8.75 × £15.00 = £131.25
So the gross pay for that shift is £131.25.
The 8.75 hours represents 8 hours 45 minutes, because:
0.75 × 60 = 45 minutes
Quick pay calculator
Use this table to estimate gross pay for common decimal-hour totals and hourly rates.
| Decimal hours | £12/hour | £14/hour | £15/hour | £16/hour | £20/hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.00 | £84.00 | £98.00 | £105.00 | £112.00 | £140.00 |
| 7.25 | £87.00 | £101.50 | £108.75 | £116.00 | £145.00 |
| 7.50 | £90.00 | £105.00 | £112.50 | £120.00 | £150.00 |
| 7.75 | £93.00 | £108.50 | £116.25 | £124.00 | £155.00 |
| 8.00 | £96.00 | £112.00 | £120.00 | £128.00 | £160.00 |
| 8.25 | £99.00 | £115.50 | £123.75 | £132.00 | £165.00 |
| 8.50 | £102.00 | £119.00 | £127.50 | £136.00 | £170.00 |
| 8.75 | £105.00 | £122.50 | £131.25 | £140.00 | £175.00 |
| 9.00 | £108.00 | £126.00 | £135.00 | £144.00 | £180.00 |
These figures show estimated gross pay before tax, National Insurance, pension contributions or other deductions.
For a different number of hours or hourly rate, use: Decimal hours × hourly rate = gross pay
What if your time is still in hours and minutes?
If your worked time is still written in normal hours and minutes, convert it into decimal hours before calculating pay.
For example: 8 hours 45 minutes
Convert the 45 minutes:
45 ÷ 60 = 0.75
So 8h 45m = 8.75 hours.
Then calculate the pay:
8.75 × £15.00 = £131.25
If you need help converting the time first, see How to Convert Minutes to Decimal Hours or use the Hundred Hour Time Converter.
Weekly pay example
Decimal hours can also be used to calculate pay across a full week.
For example:
| Day | Decimal hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 7.50 |
| Tuesday | 8.25 |
| Wednesday | 7.75 |
| Thursday | 8.00 |
| Friday | 6.50 |
| Total | 38.00 |
If the hourly rate is £14.00, then:
38.00 × £14.00 = £532.00
So the basic gross pay for the week would be £532.00.
This assumes all 38 hours are paid at the same hourly rate.
How unpaid breaks affect the calculation
Make sure the hours you use are the hours you are actually paid for.
For example:
- Shift: 08:00 to 16:00
- Total time: 8 hours
- Unpaid break: 30 minutes
30 minutes in decimal hours is 0.50.
So the paid time is:
8.00 − 0.50 = 7.50 hours
At £14 per hour:
7.50 × £14 = £105.00
So the basic gross pay would be £105.00.
How breaks are treated depends on your employer and workplace rules.
For a fuller explanation, see How Breaks Affect Payroll Hours.
What if you have overtime or different pay rates?
If some of your hours are paid at a different rate, calculate each group separately.
Do not multiply all of the hours by one rate unless they are genuinely paid at the same rate.
For example:
Normal hours: 37.50 hours at £14 per hour
37.50 × £14 = £525.00
Overtime hours: 3.25 hours at £21 per hour
3.25 × £21 = £68.25
Then add the two results:
£525.00 + £68.25 = £593.25
So the total gross pay would be £593.25.
This same approach can be used where different hours attract different rates, such as overtime, weekend or night rates.
For more detail, see How to Calculate Overtime in Decimal Hours.
Gross pay vs take-home pay
The calculation on this page gives gross pay.
Gross pay is the amount before payroll deductions are applied.
Your actual take-home pay may be lower after deductions such as:
- Income Tax
- National Insurance
- pension contributions
- student loan deductions
- salary sacrifice
- other payroll deductions
There may also be additions such as bonuses, allowances or enhanced-rate payments.
So decimal hours × hourly rate is useful for checking basic gross pay, but it is not a complete take-home-pay calculation.
Common mistakes when calculating pay from decimal hours
Treating hours and minutes as a decimal
8h 45m is not 8.45 hours.
45 minutes equals 0.75 hours, so 8h 45m = 8.75 hours.
Forgetting unpaid breaks
If a break is unpaid, it may need to be removed from the worked-hours total before calculating pay.
Using one rate for every hour
Normal hours, overtime and enhanced-rate hours may need to be calculated separately.
Rounding too early
Some time values produce repeating decimals.
For example: 20 minutes = 0.3333… hours
If accuracy matters, use the level of precision required by your payroll or timesheet system rather than repeatedly rounding intermediate figures.
Confusing gross pay with take-home pay
Multiplying decimal hours by an hourly rate gives a gross figure before deductions.
Assuming every payroll system works the same way
Different employers and payroll systems can use different rounding or timekeeping rules.
How to check your pay calculation
You can use the same calculation as a quick sense-check against a timesheet or payroll figure.
For example:
- Timesheet: 37.50 hours
- Hourly rate: £14.00
37.50 × £14.00 = £525.00
So the basic gross amount for those hours would be £525.00.
Your actual payslip may still differ if it includes:
- overtime
- enhanced rates
- bonuses
- unpaid deductions
- tax
- National Insurance
- pension contributions
- other payroll adjustments
The calculation is therefore best used as a check of the underlying hours-times-rate figure.
Convert your time before calculating pay
If your working time is still shown in normal hours and minutes, convert it into decimal hours first.
Use the Hundred Hour Time Converter to:
- convert hours and minutes into decimal hours
- convert decimal hours back into normal time
- check payroll and timesheet values
- avoid common decimal-time mistakes
For example: 7h 42m → 7.70 hours or 7.70 hours → 7h 42m
Convert My Time