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How to convert time to decimal hours/minutes/seconds in Excel?

Author Sun Last modified

Converting time to decimal hours, minutes, or seconds in Excel is a common task, especially when dealing with time-based data analysis. Suppose you have a range of time or texts with [HH:MM:SS] format in Excel, and now you want to convert them to decimal hours, minutes or seconds as following screenshot shown. This article provides a detailed guide on how to perform these conversions and offers optimization tips for efficient data handling.

A screenshot showing time converted to hours, minutes, and seconds in Excel

Convert time to decimal hours/minutes/seconds with formulas

In Excel, you can use some formulas to convert [hh:mm:ss] to decimal hours, minutes or seconds.

  1. Select a cell, enter the following formula and press "Enter". If you need, drag the "AutoFill" handle over the range to apply the same formula. 
    =A1*24
  2. Right click at the selected range and click "Format Cells" from context menu. And in the pop-up dialog, select "Number" from the "Category" list, and specify the decimal places you need. And then click "OK".
    A screenshot of the Format Cells option in Excel ribbon  >>>  A screenshot of the Format Cells dialog box in Excel

Now each time in the selection has been converted to decimal hour at once.

A screenshot showing times converted to decimal hours
Note: You also can use the following formulas to convert time to hours, minutes and seconds.
  • =HOUR(A1)+MINUTE(A1)/60+SECOND(A1)/3600
  • =HOUR(A1) * 60 + MINUTE(A1) + SECOND(A1) / 60
  • =HOUR(A1) * 3600 + MINUTE(A1) * 60 + SECOND(A1)

Convert time to decimal hours/minutes/seconds with Kutools for Excel

Unlock the full potential of your time data with the "Convert Time" feature of "Kutools for Excel"! Say goodbye to complex formulas and tedious manual calculations. With just a few clicks, you can transform hours, minutes, and seconds into decimal format, making your data analysis faster and more accurate.

Kutools for Excel - Packed with over 300 essential tools for Excel. Enjoy permanently free AI features! Download now!

Select the time range where you want to convert to decimal numbers, select "Kutools" > "Content" > "Convert Time", then choose one option you need from the context menu.

Then a dialog popped out to remind you how many cells have been converted, click "OK" to close it.

A screenshot of the dialog confirming cells converted to decimal time

Now you can see all times are converted.

A screenshot showing the results of time converted to decimal format using Kutools

Note: If you want to convert time to decimal numbers and save the results in a certain location, select "Convert Time" in the "Convert Time" submenu. In the Convert Time dialog box, choose the "Convert Type", check the "Save to another location" box, select a cell to save the result and then click "OK".
A screenshot of the Convert Time dialog box

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