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SECOND Function

Excel 2007+, Excel 2010+, Excel 2013+, Excel 2016+, Excel 2019+, Excel 365+

Summary

The Excel SECOND function extracts the seconds component from a given time value, returning an integer between 0 and 59. It's perfect for time analysis, logging, and breaking down timestamps into individual components.

Syntax

SECOND(serial_number)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
serial_number	`Time`	Yes	Time value in any valid format: text strings, decimals, or function results

Using the SECOND Function

Use SECOND to isolate the seconds portion of time values for detailed time analysis, creating time breakdowns, calculating durations, or building custom time displays.

Common SECOND Examples

Extract Seconds from Time

=SECOND("4:48:18 PM")

Returns 18 - extracts seconds from a text time string.

Seconds from Cell Reference

=SECOND(A1)

Returns 0 when A1 contains 4:48 PM (no seconds specified).

With TIMEVALUE

=SECOND(TIMEVALUE("6:45:23"))

Returns 23 - converts text to time then extracts seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Text strings ("6:45 PM"), decimal fractions (0.78125), or results from other time functions.

Returns 0 when no seconds are specified (like 4:48 PM).

Yes, it ignores the date portion and extracts seconds from the time component.

Common Errors and Solutions

#VALUE! error

Cause: serial_number is not a valid time

Solution: Ensure input is a recognizable time format

Wrong results

Cause: Confusing date with time

Solution: SECOND only extracts time portion of date-time values

Notes

Returns integer 0-59
Ignores date portion of datetime values
Time values are decimal fractions of a day (12:00 PM = 0.5)
Excel stores 12:00:00 AM as 0.0

Compatibility

Available in: Excel 2007+, Excel 2010+, Excel 2013+, Excel 2016+, Excel 2019+, Excel 365+

Not available in:

Content last reviewed: December 9, 2025
Update frequency: As needed
Excel versions tested: Excel 2007+, Excel 2010+, Excel 2013+, Excel 2016+, Excel 2019+, Excel 365+