Excel: Calculate Difference Between Two Times in Seconds

Excel is an incredibly powerful and versatile tool that can be used for a variety of tasks. One of the most useful applications of Excel is the ability to calculate the difference between two times in seconds. This is a great way to quickly and accurately measure the duration of an event or activity as well as to compare the time between two events. With the help of Excel, you can easily calculate the difference in seconds, allowing you to make faster and more efficient decisions. By learning how to calculate the difference between two times in seconds in Excel, you can maximize the efficiency of your data analysis and save time and money.


You can use the following formula to calculate the difference between two times in seconds in Excel:

=(B2-A2)*86400

This particular formula calculates the difference (in seconds) between the times in cells B2 and A2.

By default, the formula B2-A2 would return the difference between cells B2 and A2 in terms of days.

Since there are 86,400 seconds in a day, we must multiply the result of B2-A2 by 86,400 to get the difference in terms of seconds instead of days.

The following example shows how to use this formula in practice.

Example: Calculate Difference Between Times in Seconds in Excel

Suppose we have the following two columns in Excel that show the start and end times for some events:

We can type the following formula into cell C2 to calculate the difference between the start and end time for the first row in terms of seconds:

=(B2-A2)*86400

We can then drag and fill this formula down to each remaining cell in column C:

Excel difference between two times in seconds

The values in column C display the difference in seconds between the Start Time and End Time for each row.

For example:

  • There are 1,140 seconds between 1/1/2022 12:15 PM and 1/1/2022 12:34 PM.
  • There are 18,120 seconds between 1/3/2022 4:13 AM and 1/3/2022 9:15 AM.
  • There are 6,480 seconds between 1/15/2022 10:56 AM and 1/15/2022 12:44 PM.

And so on.


In conclusion, the formula provided in this article can be used to calculate the difference between two times in seconds in Excel. By multiplying the result of the formula B2-A2 with 86,400, you can get the difference in terms of seconds instead of days. This example provides an easy to understand example of how to use this formula in practice. With this knowledge, you are now able to perform this calculation in your own Excel worksheets.

x