Meeting Cost Calculator
Calculate the real cost of a meeting based on attendees, their hourly rates, and meeting duration.
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How to use this calculator
The total cost is the product of meeting duration (converted to hours), the number of attendees, and the average hourly rate per person. This represents the combined salary cost of having all attendees in the room.
- 1
Enter the meeting duration in minutes and the number of attendees.
- 2
Enter the average hourly rate (salary cost per hour) for attendees — you can use a blended average across roles.
- 3
Set how many similar meetings happen per week to see the weekly, monthly, and annual cost impact.
Frequently asked questions
What hourly rate should I use?
Use the fully-loaded cost per hour, which includes salary, benefits, and overhead — typically 1.25–1.4× the base salary. Divide the annual fully-loaded cost by 2,080 working hours to get an hourly rate. For a rough estimate, use median salary for the team and add 30%.
Does this include the cost of meeting preparation?
No. The calculator only counts time in the meeting itself. Research suggests that preparation and follow-up can add 30–50% to the true cost of a meeting. For high-stakes meetings, factor in those additional hours.
How can I reduce meeting costs?
Tactics include: limiting attendance to decision-makers only, replacing status update meetings with async tools (Loom, Notion, Slack), cutting meeting length by 15 minutes (try 45- and 25-minute defaults), and requiring a written agenda before scheduling.
Meeting Cost Calculator — Know the True Price of Every Meeting
The hidden cost of meetings
A one-hour meeting with eight people at $50/hour costs $400 — not counting preparation, follow-up, or the disruption to deep work. Across a typical organization, meetings consume 15–35% of total working hours. Visualizing cost in dollars, not just time, is a powerful way to drive more intentional meeting culture.
When a meeting is worth the cost
Not all meetings are wasteful. A 30-minute kickoff that aligns eight engineers can save days of misaligned work. The goal is not to eliminate meetings but to make them intentional. Use this calculator to ask: "What decision or outcome is worth this dollar amount?" If the answer is unclear, consider an async alternative.
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Results are estimates for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional financial, medical, legal, or technical advice. Read full disclaimer →