How to Convert Minutes to Seconds in Excel

To convert minutes to seconds in Excel, multiply by 60. If cell A2 holds a number of minutes, such as 2.5, type =A2*60 to get 150 seconds. If A2 holds a time such as 2:30 (two minutes, 30 seconds), use =A2*86400 and format the result as a number.

Applies to: Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016 on Windows and Mac, and Excel for the web.

First, check how your minutes are stored

Excel can hold minutes in two different ways, and each needs a different formula:

• A plain number, like 2.5 or 45. The cell shows just a number.
• A time value, like 0:02:30. The cell shows colons, and Excel stores it as a fraction of a day.

Click the cell and look at the number format on the Home tab. General or Number means a plain number. Time or Custom with colons means a time value.

Method 1: Minutes stored as a number

1. In an empty cell, type =A2*60, replacing A2 with your cell.
2. Press Enter.
3. Drag the fill handle down to convert the rest of the column.

For example, 3 becomes 180, and 1.25 becomes 75.

Method 2: Minutes stored as a time

1. Type =A2*86400. There are 86,400 seconds in a day, and Excel stores times as parts of a day.
2. Press Enter.
3. If the result looks like a time or shows 0:00, select it and set the number format to General on the Home tab.

For example, 0:02:30 becomes 150. This also works for times with hours, such as 1:15:00, which becomes 4,500 seconds.

Method 3: The CONVERT function

For plain numbers, =CONVERT(A2,"mn","sec") gives the same result as multiplying by 60. It’s handy because the formula shows what it does, which helps when someone else reads your sheet.

Method 4: Add up hours, minutes, and seconds

If you need to see the parts separately, use =HOUR(A2)*3600+MINUTE(A2)*60+SECOND(A2). This gives the same answer as Method 2 for times under 24 hours.

Convert a column in place without formulas

1. Type 60 in an empty cell and copy it.
2. Select the cells with minutes (plain numbers only).
3. Right-click, choose Paste Special, select Multiply, and select OK.
4. Delete the cell with 60.

The original numbers are replaced with seconds, so make a copy of the column first if you need to keep the minutes.

Total several durations in seconds

If a column holds times like 0:02:30, 0:04:15, and 0:01:05, add them with =SUM(A2:A4), then convert the total with =SUM(A2:A4)*86400. Excel adds the times first, then turns the total into 470 seconds.

Typing minutes and seconds correctly

Excel reads 2:30 as 2 hours and 30 minutes, not 2 minutes and 30 seconds. To enter minutes and seconds, type 0:2:30. Then format the cell as mm:ss (choose Custom in Format Cells) so it displays as 02:30.

To show a total of more than 60 minutes as minutes, use the custom format [mm]:ss. The square brackets stop the minutes from rolling over into hours.

Convert seconds back to minutes

• To a number of minutes: =A2/60. 150 becomes 2.5.
• To a time: =A2/86400, then format the result as mm:ss. 150 becomes 02:30.

If the result looks wrong

• The answer is 60 times too big or too small: You used the wrong method for how the minutes are stored. Check the format as described at the top.
• #VALUE! error: The minutes are stored as text, often after pasting from another program. Use =VALUE(A2)*86400 for times, or convert the column with Data > Text to Columns > Finish.
• The result shows as a time instead of a number: Change the cell format to General.
• A decimal appears, such as 149.9999: Wrap the formula in ROUND, for example =ROUND(A2*86400,0).

Frequently asked questions

Why does 2:30 turn into 9000 seconds?

Excel read 2:30 as 2 hours 30 minutes, which is 9,000 seconds. Re-enter it as 0:2:30 to mean 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

How do I convert minutes to hours?

Divide by 60 for a plain number. Time values need a different approach, covered in converting minutes to hours in Excel.

How do I find the minutes between two times?

Subtract the start time from the end time and multiply by 1440. Examples are in calculating minutes between two times.

Can I add minutes to a time?

Yes. The formula is shown in adding 15 minutes to a time in Excel.