Meeting Cost Calculator

Meeting cost is calculated by summing the hourly labor cost of every attendee for the meeting duration. The formula is: Total Cost = Number of Attendees × Average Hourly Rate × Meeting Duration (in hours). This represents the direct labor cost, which can be adjusted for fully-loaded employment costs (benefits, overhead, employer taxes) by multiplying by a burden rate (typically 1.25x to 1.5x the base salary rate).



This calculator tracks elapsed meeting time in real time, multiplying the running total by the per-second cost. The per-second cost is derived from: (total hourly rate across all attendees) / 3600. Displaying the running total creates a "meter" that makes the abstract cost of time concrete and tangible for meeting participants.



Harvard Business Review research found that senior executives spend an average of 23 hours per week in meetings—up from under 10 hours in the 1960s. Studies estimating the total cost of unnecessary meetings in the U.S. economy place the annual figure at $37 billion. The psychological impact of seeing a running cost clock has been shown to change meeting behavior, reducing digressions and off-topic discussion.

1. Executive Team Accountability
When C-suite executives meet, the hourly cost is substantial. A 1-hour meeting with 5 executives earning $300/hour in fully-loaded costs represents $1,500 in direct labor. Showing this calculation to leadership teams changes how they approach meeting length, attendance requirements, and the decision of whether a meeting could be an email.



2. Meeting Culture Transformation
Organizations implementing meeting reform programs use cost calculators as a visceral demonstration. Displaying the calculator during an actual meeting focuses attention on value being generated versus time (and money) being spent. The ticking cost meter creates a shared urgency for productive discussion.



3. Project Budget Estimation
Project managers estimating the internal cost of a project need to account for meeting time. A project with 10 weekly team meetings of 5 people over 6 months represents significant labor hours—often underestimated in project planning. The calculator makes this explicit for budget allocation.



4. Meeting Format Optimization
When deciding between meeting formats (in-person, video call, async communication), the cost calculator quantifies what each option costs in labor. A daily 30-minute standup for a 10-person team at $75/hour costs $23/meeting, or over $5,000/year—worth considering whether async alternatives could achieve the same coordination.



5. Return on Investment Analysis
Sales teams, product teams, and executives use meeting ROI analysis to evaluate whether time invested in customer meetings, planning sessions, and training generates sufficient return. The calculator provides the cost side of the equation for ROI calculations.

• Use fully-loaded costs for accuracy: Employee cost to a company is typically 1.25-1.5x their salary (adding benefits, employer taxes, office space, equipment). A $100K salary employee costs $125-150K per year in total. Use this multiplier for accurate meeting cost estimates.



• Send the agenda in advance: Meetings with distributed agendas are measurably shorter and more productive than impromptu gatherings. Every minute saved in a 10-person meeting at the average cost rate represents real organizational savings.



• Challenge attendance lists: The most effective way to reduce meeting costs is reducing headcount. Ask "is this person necessary, or would a follow-up email suffice?" Reducing a 10-person meeting to 6 people cuts costs by 40%.



• Set and enforce time limits: Meetings expand to fill available time (Parkinson's Law). Setting a timer creates urgency that naturally compresses discussion to essentials. Many teams that switch from 1-hour defaults to 45-minute slots report no loss of output.