Use this free military time calculator to convert between 24-hour military time and standard 12-hour AM/PM time, and to calculate the hours worked between two military times. Type a time such as 1730 and see that it is 5:30 PM, or pick a time and see it in military format. Shifts that pass midnight are handled automatically.
How to use the military time calculator
- To convert military time, type it as four digits like 1730 or with a colon like 17:30.
- To convert standard time, choose the hour, minutes and AM or PM.
- To find hours worked, type the start and end in military time and add any unpaid break in minutes.
- Read the result in hours:minutes and in decimal hours.
Example: 0800 to 1630 with a 30-minute break
A shift starts at 0800 (8:00 AM) and ends at 1630 (4:30 PM). The elapsed time is 8 hours 30 minutes. After a 30-minute unpaid break you worked 8 hours, or 8.00 decimal hours. To convert 1730 by hand, subtract 12 from the hour to get 5:30 PM.
How military time works
Military time counts hours from 00 to 23 with no AM or PM. Midnight is 0000 and noon is 1200. For hours from 0100 to 1159 the standard time is the same with AM. For 1300 to 2359, subtract 12 from the hour and use PM, so 1830 is 6:30 PM. To go the other way, add 12 to any PM hour except 12 PM, and treat 12 AM as 00. Hours worked is the end time minus the start time minus the break, adding 24 hours if the end is earlier than the start.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert military time to standard time?
If the hour is 12 or less, keep it and use AM (except 12 is PM, 00 is 12 AM). If the hour is 13 to 23, subtract 12 and use PM. 1730 becomes 5:30 PM.
How do I convert standard time to military time?
For AM, keep the hour and use two digits, with 12 AM becoming 00. For PM, add 12 to the hour, except 12 PM which stays 12. 3:45 PM is 1545.
What is 0000 in military time?
0000 is midnight, which is 12:00 AM. 2400 is sometimes used for the end of a day and means the same moment.
How do I calculate hours worked in military time?
Subtract the start from the end. From 0800 to 1630 is 8 hours 30 minutes. If the shift passes midnight, such as 2200 to 0630, add 24 hours to the end first to get 8 hours 30 minutes.
Is military time the same as 24-hour time?
Almost. Military time is written as four digits without a colon and is read aloud as hundred hours, like 1400 for fourteen hundred. Both count hours from 0 to 23.