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How to calculate the time difference between two times in Excel and Google Sheets
Excel & Google Sheets
=TEXT(B2-A2,"h:mm")✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Start Time | End Time | Difference |
| 09:00 | 17:30 | |
| 08:15 | 12:45 | |
| 13:00 | 18:00 | |
| 07:30 | 16:00 |
=TEXT(B2-A2,"h:mm")→8:30
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Step by step
- 1Enter a start time in column A (e.g., 09:00 AM) and an end time in column B (e.g., 05:30 PM), both formatted as Time.
- 2In the result cell, enter =B2-A2. Format the result cell as [h]:mm (Custom format) to display hours correctly even when the difference exceeds 24 hours.
- 3Alternatively, use =TEXT(B2-A2,"h:mm") to return the result as a text string for display, or multiply by 24 to get decimal hours: =(B2-A2)*24.
Tips
- If your result shows a negative value or ########, the end time may be before the start time. For overnight shifts, add 1 to the result: =MOD(B2-A2,1).
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Frequently asked
How do I get the difference in minutes only?
Multiply by 1440 (minutes in a day): =(B2-A2)*1440.
Why does my result show a decimal instead of a time?
The cell is formatted as General or Number. Change the cell format to [h]:mm or use the TEXT function to control display.