How Many Hours Is 9 to 5?
By Atharv · Updated October 24, 2026
9 AM to 5 PM is 8 hours. If your lunch is unpaid, subtract it: with a 30-minute lunch you work 7.5 hours, and with a 1-hour lunch you work 7 hours. Over a five-day week that is 40, 37.5, or 35 hours.
The clock time and the hours you are paid for are often different numbers, and the gap is almost always lunch. Below is the same answer for every common shift, followed by a calculator for any times not on the list.
Shift Length Chart
| Shift | On the clock | 30-min lunch | 1-hour lunch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 8 | 7.5 | 7 |
| 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 9 | 8.5 | 8 |
| 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 |
| 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM | 8 | 7.5 | 7 |
| 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 |
| 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM | 8 | 7.5 | 7 |
| 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM | 9 | 8.5 | 8 |
| 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM | 9 | 8.5 | 8 |
| 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM | 8 | 7.5 | 7 |
| 6:00 AM – 2:00 PM | 8 | 7.5 | 7 |
| 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM | 8 | 7.5 | 7 |
| 3:00 PM – 11:00 PM | 8 | 7.5 | 7 |
| 11:00 PM – 7:00 AM | 8 | 7.5 | 7 |
| 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM | 12 | 11.5 | 11 |
| 7:00 PM – 7:00 AM | 12 | 11.5 | 11 |
Hours are in decimals, the format payroll uses: 7.5 means 7 hours 30 minutes. Shifts ending at or before their start time run past midnight.
How to Work It Out
Convert both times to the 24-hour clock, subtract the start from the end, then subtract any unpaid break. 9:00 AM is 9:00 and 5:00 PM is 17:00, so 17 − 9 = 8 hours, minus a 30-minute lunch is 7.5. For a shift that crosses midnight, such as 11 PM to 7 AM, add 24 to the end first: (7 + 24) − 23 = 8 hours. The full method, with borrowing minutes and converting to decimals, is in how to calculate hours worked.
Is Lunch Paid?
Under federal rules, a meal break of 30 minutes or more is usually unpaid if you are fully relieved of duty, so it comes off your hours. Short rest breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes are paid and stay in. If you eat at your desk while answering calls, the time generally counts as work. Some states, such as California, also require meal breaks for longer shifts.
Calculate Any Shift
Enter your own start and end times. Subtract any unpaid break from the result.