Shift Work Calculator
Estimate your total paid hours, night shift premiums, and weekly, monthly, or annual pay based on your roster and hourly rate.
Calculate Your Shift Earnings
Enter your shift times, break duration, and hourly rate to instantly see your projected earnings across different pay periods.
Shift & Pay Details
Define your typical shift pattern to calculate accurate take-home projections.
How it Works
Understanding shift pay calculations
Calculate Total Duration
We calculate the total time between your start and end times, automatically adjusting if your shift crosses midnight.
Deduct Unpaid Breaks
Your specified break duration is subtracted from the total shift length to determine your actual paid working hours.
Apply Night Premiums
If you work unsocial hours, any night shift premium percentage is added to your base hourly rate for that shift.
Project Earnings
We multiply your per-shift earnings by your weekly shifts to project your weekly, monthly, and annual gross income.
Common UK Shift Patterns
A general overview of typical rotating shift patterns and their average weekly hours.
| Pattern Name | Typical Cycle | Avg. Hours / Week |
|---|---|---|
| 4 on 4 off | 4 days/nights, 4 days off | 42 hours |
| Panama Shift | 2 days, 2 off, 3 days, 2 off, 2 nights, 3 off | 42 hours |
| Continental (3-Shift) | 2 mornings, 2 afternoons, 2 nights, 4 off | 42 hours |
| 5 over 7 | 5 working days, 2 fixed or rotating days off | 37.5 – 40 hours |
| 12-Hour Rotating | Alternating 12-hour day and night shifts | 36 – 42 hours |
Shift Work Pay FAQ
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about calculating shift hours, breaks, and premiums in the UK.
When a shift ends on the following day (e.g., 22:00 to 06:00), you calculate the duration by adding 24 hours to the end time before subtracting the start time. Our calculator handles this midnight crossover automatically.
Yes, in the UK, employers are not legally required to pay for rest breaks unless your employment contract specifically states otherwise. This calculator deducts your specified break duration from your total shift hours to calculate your actual paid time.
A night shift premium (or night allowance) is an additional percentage or fixed amount added to your base hourly rate for working during night hours (typically between 10 PM and 6 AM). This compensates for the unsocial hours.
Monthly pay is calculated by multiplying your weekly earnings by 52 (the number of weeks in a year) and then dividing by 12 (the number of months). This provides an accurate average monthly income, accounting for months with 4 or 5 pay periods.