Military Time Converter
Instantly convert military time (24-hour clock) to standard 12-hour AM/PM time and back, with a full military time chart for timecards and payroll.
Military Time Converter
Conversion Direction
Military Time
Conversions are estimates for general reference only and are not tax, legal, or payroll advice.
Military Time Chart
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Track Time the Easy Way
Timeclock44 logs clock-ins, totals hours, and handles the time math so you do not have to convert by hand.
How to Convert Military Time to Standard Time
Military time, the 24-hour clock, splits the day into four ranges. Knowing which range a time falls into tells you exactly how to read it in standard 12-hour format.
- 0000 to 0059 (midnight hour): the hour becomes 12 and you add AM. 0030 reads as 12:30 AM.
- 0100 to 1159 (morning): drop the leading zero and add AM. 0830 reads as 8:30 AM.
- 1200 to 1259 (noon hour): the hour stays 12 and you add PM. 1215 reads as 12:15 PM.
- 1300 to 2359 (afternoon and evening): subtract 12 from the hour and add PM. 1745 minus 12 is 5, so 1745 reads as 5:45 PM.
The shortcut most people use: once the clock passes noon, just subtract 12 to get the PM hour. 2100 minus 12 is 9, so 2100 is 9:00 PM. The end-of-day value 2400 is treated as 12:00 AM.
How to Convert Standard Time to Military Time
Going the other way reverses the rules. For AM times, keep the hour and zero-pad it to two digits, except for 12 AM. For PM times, add 12 to the hour, except for 12 PM.
- 12:MM AM becomes 00:MM. 12:15 AM is 0015.
- 1 AM to 11 AM zero-pads to four digits. 7:00 AM is 0700.
- 12:MM PM stays 12:MM. 12:30 PM is 1230.
- 1 PM to 11 PM adds 12 to the hour. 6:45 PM is 1845.
The trap that catches almost everyone is the 12 AM and 12 PM pair. 12:00 AM is midnight and converts to 0000, not 1200. 12:00 PM is noon and converts to 1200. When in doubt, remember that 1200 is always noon.
Military Time Chart (24-Hour Clock Conversion Table)
The chart on this page maps every hour from 0000 to 2300 to its 12-hour AM/PM equivalent, and the converter highlights the row that matches your current result. It is the same printable reference format that gets searched for most often.
A few rows worth memorizing: 0000 is 12:00 AM (midnight), 0600 is 6:00 AM, 1200 is 12:00 PM (noon), 1800 is 6:00 PM, and 2300 is 11:00 PM. Noon is the one hour where the 24-hour and 12-hour numbers match, which makes it a useful anchor point.
Reading Military Time on a Timecard or Payroll
Timecards and payroll systems use the 24-hour clock because it removes AM/PM confusion, which matters most for overnight shifts that cross midnight. A shift logged as 2200 to 0600 is clearly an eight-hour overnight, with no guessing required.
Payroll pay math, though, needs decimal hours rather than clock minutes. Convert minutes by dividing by 60: 1745 becomes 17 + (45 / 60) = 17.75 hours. The decimal hours output above does this for you. To work with full shifts and weekly totals, the payroll time converter handles minutes-to-decimal conversion, the timecard calculator totals clock-in and clock-out times, the shift length calculator measures a single shift including overnight spans, the time clock rounding calculator applies payroll rounding increments, and the biweekly timecard calculator rolls up a full pay period. For day-to-day time tracking, the Timeclock44 app records punches and totals hours automatically.
These conversions are provided for general reference only. They are not tax, legal, or payroll advice. Confirm pay calculations against your employer's policy and applicable law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about military time converter
What is military time and how does it work?
Military time, also called the 24-hour clock, counts hours from 00 at midnight through 23 at the start of the final hour, so there is no AM or PM. The day runs 0000 to 2359, and every time is written as four digits (HHMM). Because each hour has its own number, there is no confusion about whether a time falls in the morning or evening.
How do I convert military time to regular time?
For hours 0000 to 0059, the standard time is 12:MM AM. For 0100 to 1159, drop any leading zero and add AM. For 1200 to 1259, it is 12:MM PM (noon). For 1300 to 2359, subtract 12 from the hour and add PM. Example: 1745 minus 12 is 5, so 1745 becomes 5:45 PM.
How do I convert regular (12-hour) time to military time?
For 12:MM AM, the military time is 00:MM. For 1 AM through 11 AM, zero-pad the hour to two digits and keep the minutes (8:30 AM becomes 0830). For 12:MM PM, it stays 12:MM. For 1 PM through 11 PM, add 12 to the hour (5:45 PM becomes 1745).
What is 0000 in military time, is it midnight or noon?
0000 is midnight, the very start of the day. It is read as 12:00 AM in standard time. Noon is 1200, halfway through the 24-hour cycle. The two are twelve hours apart, so 0000 never means noon.
Why is midnight sometimes written as 2400 instead of 0000?
Both 0000 and 2400 point to midnight, but they describe different moments. 0000 is the start of a new day, while 2400 marks the end of the current day. Many timekeeping systems use 0000 for clarity, but a shift that ends at midnight is often logged as 2400 so the end time is not confused with the next day.
Is 1200 noon or midnight in military time?
1200 is noon, the same as 12:00 PM. Midnight is 0000 (or 2400 for end of day). Noon is the one time where the 24-hour number and the 12-hour number match, which makes it easy to remember.
How do I read military time minutes for payroll (decimal hours)?
Payroll math uses decimal hours, not clock minutes. Divide the minutes by 60 and add the result to the hour: 1745 becomes 17 + (45 / 60) = 17.75. Common values are 15 minutes = 0.25, 30 minutes = 0.50, and 45 minutes = 0.75.
Do you say 'hundred hours', how is military time spoken aloud?
Times ending in 00 are read with the word hundred: 1700 is 'seventeen hundred hours'. Times with minutes are read as two numbers: 1745 is 'seventeen forty-five'. Single-digit minutes use the word oh, so 1705 is 'seventeen oh five'.