About the Meeting Cost Calculator
This meeting cost calculator shows what a meeting really costs your organisation in paid time. Enter how many people attend, their average annual salary, the length of the meeting and an overhead loading for benefits and payroll taxes, and it returns the cost of one meeting, the cost per minute and the yearly bill for a recurring meeting.
Managers use it to decide whether a weekly status meeting is worth it, to trim invite lists and agenda length, and to make the case for asynchronous updates. It is also handy for estimating the internal cost of workshops, planning days and project reviews.
Hourly cost is annual salary ÷ paid hours per year (2,080 for a full-time 40-hour week), increased by your benefits and overhead percentage. The result counts only attendees’ time, not preparation, travel or the value of work they could have done instead, so treat it as a minimum.
With the default inputs, the cost of this meeting is $450.00. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the meeting cost calculator
- 1Enter the number of people invited.
- 2Enter their average annual salary and a loading for benefits and overhead.
- 3Set the meeting length in minutes.
- 4For recurring meetings, enter how many times a week it happens.
- 5Review the cost per meeting and per year, then trim time or attendees where you can.
Formula and method
Each attendee’s hourly cost is their annual salary divided by paid hours per year, then increased by the loading percentage to cover employer payroll taxes, benefits and overhead. Multiplying by the number of attendees and the meeting length in hours gives the cost of one meeting.
The yearly cost multiplies the single-meeting cost by how often it happens each week and by working weeks per year (50 by default, allowing for holidays). Using an average salary is an approximation; for a mix of senior and junior staff, weight the average by headcount.
- Attendees
- People in the meeting
- Salary
- Average annual base salary
- Loading
- Benefits and overhead as a share of salary
- Hours per year
- Paid hours per employee (2,080 full time)
Worked examples
Weekly one-hour team meeting
A $90,000 salary is $43.27 an hour over 2,080 hours; with a 30% loading it is $56.25. Eight people for an hour cost $450, or $7.50 a minute. Held weekly for 50 weeks, that is $22,500 a year.
Daily 30-minute stand-up for senior staff
At $120,000 plus 25% loading, each person costs $72.12 an hour. Four of them for half an hour is $144.23 per stand-up; five a week for 50 weeks adds up to about $36,058 a year.
90-minute planning session with 12 people
At $70,000 plus 30%, each hour costs $43.75 per person. Twelve people for 1.5 hours is 18 person-hours, or $787.50 — $39,375 a year if repeated weekly.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate the cost of a meeting?+
Multiply the number of attendees by their average loaded hourly cost and by the meeting length in hours. Loaded hourly cost is salary ÷ 2,080 hours, increased by benefits and overhead.
What overhead percentage should I use for employees?+
Employer payroll taxes, health insurance, retirement contributions and paid leave typically add 25% to 40% to base salary. Use 30% if you do not know your organisation’s figure.
Does the meeting cost include lost productivity?+
No. It counts only the paid time of attendees. The opportunity cost of work not done, preparation time and context switching can make the real cost noticeably higher.
How can I reduce meeting costs?+
Invite only decision-makers, share updates in writing, set a clear agenda, default to 25 or 50 minutes instead of 30 or 60, and review recurring meetings every quarter to cancel ones that no longer add value.