Rotating Shift Hours Calculator
Choose a rotation such as 2-2-3 or DuPont, or enter your own days on and off, then add the hours per shift to see total shifts, hours, days off, and the average week.
Rotating Shift Hours Calculator calculates in your browser.
Add up the hours a rotating schedule really works out to
Rotating schedules repeat on a cycle that rarely matches a 7-day week, so “how many hours is that?” has two answers: the hours in a given stretch of time, and the average week over the long run. Pick a common rotation — 2-2-3 (Panama or Pitman), DuPont, 24 on / 48 off, or 5 on / 2 off — or enter your own days on and days off. Add the hours per shift and how long to count, in cycles, weeks, or days, and the calculator totals the shifts, hours, and days off, and shows the average hours per week. A table lays out one cycle so you can check the pattern is the one you work.
How to use the Rotating Shift Hours Calculator
- Choose a rotation pattern, or Custom to type your own days on and days off.
- Type the hours in one shift, such as 12 or 8.5.
- Choose whether to count by cycles, weeks, or days, and type how many.
- Read the total hours, shifts, days off, days in the period, and the average hours per week, with one cycle of the pattern in the table.
The formula
Hours per cycle = work days per cycle × hours per shift
Total hours = work days in the period × hours per shift
Average week = total hours ÷ days in the period × 7
Whole cycles are counted by multiplication. When the period ends partway through a cycle — 3 weeks of a 14-day rotation, for example — the leftover days are counted from the first work day of the pattern, and the long-run average is shown next to the average for that period so you can see the difference.
| Rotation | Cycle length | Hours per cycle | Average week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-2-3 (Panama / Pitman), 12-hour shifts | 14 days | 84 hours | 42 hours |
| DuPont, 12-hour shifts | 28 days | 168 hours | 42 hours |
| 24 on / 48 off, 24-hour shifts | 3 days | 24 hours | 56 hours |
| 5 on / 2 off, 8-hour shifts | 7 days | 40 hours | 40 hours |
| 4 on / 3 off, 10-hour shifts | 7 days | 40 hours | 40 hours |
| 3 on / 3 off, 12-hour shifts | 6 days | 36 hours | 42 hours |
Calculated on your device
- The calculation runs in your browser as you type; nothing is sent to a server.
- Your schedule, hours, and results are not sent to Looty Tools or stored.
- The calculator area is masked from session-recording analytics, so what you enter isn’t captured in recordings.
Limitations
- Every shift in the rotation has the same length. Rotations that mix 8- and 12-hour shifts, or day and night shifts of different lengths, need each part worked out separately.
- A partial cycle is counted from the first work day of the pattern; it doesn’t know where your own rotation starts on the calendar.
- It counts scheduled hours only — not overtime, pay, holidays, swaps, or time off.
- Custom runs of up to 365 days on or off, up to 24 hours a shift, and up to 1,000 cycles, 1,044 weeks, or 7,305 days.
Related calculators
- 4-On-4-Off Work Schedule CalculatorAdd up hours on a 4-on, 4-off schedule.
- Days Between Dates CalculatorCount the days from one date to another.
- Hours Between Times CalculatorCount the hours between two clock times.
Guides
- Hours on a Rotating ScheduleFind the cycle, the hours per cycle, the average week, and the total for a set period on any rotating schedule, including partial cycles.
- Rotating Patterns ComparedThe 2-2-3 Panama, DuPont, 4-on-4-off, 24/48, and 5/2 rotations side by side: cycle length, work days, longest stretches, and average hours.
- Why Weekly Hours VaryWhy rotations don’t match a 7-day week, the week-by-week hours for 2-2-3 and DuPont, and what that means for pay periods and averages.
Rotating Shift Hours Calculator FAQ
- How do you calculate hours on a rotating schedule?
- Count the work days in one cycle, multiply by the hours per shift, and multiply by the number of cycles. A 2-2-3 rotation has 7 work days in a 14-day cycle, so with 12-hour shifts it is 84 hours a cycle — 336 hours over 4 cycles.
- How is the average hours per week worked out?
- Total hours ÷ days in the period × 7. Over whole cycles that equals the long-run average: 84 hours every 14 days is 42 hours a week. If the period ends partway through a cycle, the calculator also shows the long-run figure for comparison.
- Why do my hours change from week to week?
- Most rotations don’t line up with a 7-day week. On a 2-2-3 rotation with 12-hour shifts, the first week of the cycle has 5 work days (60 hours) and the second has 2 (24 hours). The average is 42, but no single week is.
- What if my rotation isn’t listed?
- Choose Custom and enter your days on and days off, such as 3 on and 3 off or 7 on and 7 off. For a 4-on, 4-off schedule with real dates, the 4-On-4-Off Work Schedule Calculator lists your actual work and off days.
- Where does the count start in the cycle?
- On the first work day of the pattern. Over whole cycles the starting point doesn’t matter; when a period ends partway through a cycle, starting elsewhere can move the total by a few shifts.
- Are the hours and dates I enter sent anywhere?
- No. The calculation runs in your browser as you type. Your hours, dates, and results are not sent to Looty Tools or stored, and the calculator area is masked from session-recording analytics. Refreshing the page clears it.
