How to use the work experience duration calculator
- Enter the date to count open jobs up to. It starts as today.
- List each job with a name and its first and last day. Leave the last day blank for a job you still have.
- Read the total experience in years, months and days, and the number of days with overlaps counted once.
- Use the tables for the length of each job, the days it shares with another job, and the gaps between stretches of work.
Formula
merge jobs that overlap or touch into stretches; a day counts once
days of a stretch = last day - first day + 1
years and months of a stretch = whole calendar months from its first day, then the leftover days
total = the stretches added, then 30 leftover days become a month and 12 months become a year
The total in days is exact. The years, months and days depend on the carrying rule above, which differs between employers and forms, so use the day count when you need a figure that cannot be argued.
Four jobs with one overlap
An analyst job from 2014-09-01 to 2017-08-31 overlaps a part time consulting job from 2016-03-01 to 2017-12-31 for 549 days. A manager job runs from 2018-04-15 to 2021-04-14 and a director job from 2021-06-01 to 2024-05-31. The overlap makes three stretches, the first from 2014-09-01 to 2017-12-31.
Counting every job separately would give 3,959 days. Counting each day once gives 3,410 days, because 549 days are counted twice otherwise. The stretches measure 3 years 4 months, 3 years and 3 years, so the total is 9 years, 4 months and 0 days. The gaps are 104 days between the first two stretches and 47 days between the last two.
Overlaps and back to back jobs
If you hold two jobs at once, experience does not double. The tool counts each calendar day once, however many jobs cover it. Jobs that follow each other without a day between, such as one ending December 31 and the next starting January 1, form one stretch, which is why the second example in the presets shows 2 years, 6 months for two back to back jobs.
To count service from one start date with milestones, use the Length of Service Calculator. To find the days two ranges share, use the Date Overlap Calculator. When you compare offers, the Job Offer Comparison Calculator puts the pay side by side.
Part time work and other rules
This tool counts calendar time. A form may ask for full time equivalent years, hours worked or a count that treats every month as 30 days. Those need other arithmetic, and the day total here gives you the raw material for them. Follow the instructions on the form you are filling out.
Assumptions and limits
- Both the first and the last day of a job are counted.
- A job with no last day runs to the date you set at the top.
- Jobs may be entered in any order, and up to 30 are read.
- Names stay out of share links, the calculation runs in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How are partial months counted?
Whole calendar months come from the first day of each stretch, and the days that are left are added up across stretches. Every 30 leftover days then make one more month. The tool states this rule so you can follow it.
Why is the total different from adding up each job?
Jobs that overlap share days, and those days are counted once. The table of days counted twice shows how large the difference is.
What happens if a job has no end date?
It is counted up to the date at the top. Change that date to see your experience as of an application deadline or any other day.
Does a gap reduce my total?
No. Gaps are simply not counted. They are listed so you can see where they are and how long they last.