Meeting Cost Calculator
Calculate how much your meetings really cost the company. Enter the number of attendees and their average salary to see the true cost.
Meeting Cost Formula
Cost = (Salary ÷ 2,080 ÷ 60) × Attendees × Duration (min)
Hourly rate = annual salary ÷ 2,080 standard work hours. Cost per minute per person = hourly rate ÷ 60. Multiply by the number of attendees and the meeting duration in minutes. The calculator also projects the cost if this meeting recurs daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.
Example
A 1-hour meeting with 5 people earning an average of $80,000/year:
How to Interpret Your Result
- The "this meeting" number is the tip of the iceberg: A $190 meeting sounds manageable. But if it's a daily standup, the annual cost is nearly $50,000. Always look at the yearly projection for recurring meetings.
- Opportunity cost: 5 people in a 1-hour meeting is 5 hours of combined work time. If each could produce $50/hour of value independently, the meeting costs $250 in lost output — on top of the $190 in salary.
- Right-size the room: Dropping from 5 to 3 attendees cuts cost by 40%. Ask: does everyone need to be here, or could some receive notes afterward?
Common Mistakes
- Using average salary for everyone: A meeting with a $150k director and four $50k staff has a different real cost than 5 people at $80k average. The average is an approximation.
- Forgetting prep and follow-up time: A 1-hour meeting often involves 30 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of follow-up per person. The real cost is roughly double the meeting time itself.
- Counting salary as the only cost: Benefits, overhead, and office space add 20-40% to fully loaded labor cost. The calculator uses base salary, so real costs are higher.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate meeting cost?
Meeting cost = (Average hourly rate × Number of attendees × Meeting duration in minutes) ÷ 60. The hourly rate is typically annual salary ÷ 2,080 hours.
What is the average cost of a meeting?
For a team of 5 with an average salary of $80,000, a 1-hour meeting costs approximately $153.85. A daily 30-minute standup costs about $769 per month.
How can I reduce meeting costs?
Keep meetings short, invite only essential attendees, have clear agendas, and consider async alternatives like email or Slack for updates.