Dates & Time

Excel formula for Time difference in hours

Get the number of hours between a start time and an end time.

Copy this formula

=(B2-A2)*24

How the formula works

Excel stores time as a fraction of a day, so subtracting times gives a fraction; multiplying by 24 converts it to hours. Format the result as a Number, not Time.

Examples

=("17:30"-"09:00")*24→8.5

8.5 hours worked.

Other ways to do this

In minutes

=(B2-A2)*1440

1440 minutes in a day.

FAQ

My result is negative for an overnight shift.

Add 1 when the end is past midnight: =MOD(B2-A2, 1)*24.

Related formulas

Days between two dates Format a date as text

Functions used

HOUR MINUTE

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