How the cost is calculated
A meeting costs the time of everyone in the room. The calculator turns salaries into a loaded hourly cost and multiplies it by the people and the time involved:
Hourly cost per person = annual salary ÷ working hours per year
× (1 + benefits & overhead %)
Cost per meeting = attendees × hourly cost per person × duration in hours
Cost per year = cost per meeting × meetings per year
Cost per month = cost per year ÷ 12Meetings per year: daily = 260 (working days), weekly = 52, every two weeks = 26, monthly = 12. A one-off meeting only shows the cost per meeting. If you enter an hourly rate instead of a salary, it is used directly.
Worked example
A product team holds a weekly 60-minute sync with 6 people whose average salary is $75,000, assuming 2,080 working hours and 25% overhead:
- Hourly cost per person: $75,000 ÷ 2,080 × 1.25 = $45.07
- Cost per meeting: 6 × $45.07 × 1 h = $270.43
- Cost per year: cost per meeting × 52 = $14,063
- Cost per month: cost per year ÷ 12 = $1,172
Amounts are rounded exactly as the calculator shows them; each step uses the unrounded values.
That single recurring meeting consumes 312 person-hours per year — almost eight full work weeks.
What common meetings cost per year
Using the same assumptions ($75,000 average salary, 2,080 hours, 25% overhead):
| Meeting | Attendees | Length | Frequency | Per meeting | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily stand-up | 8 | 15 min | Daily | $90.14 | $23,438 |
| Team sync | 6 | 60 min | Weekly | $270.43 | $14,063 |
| One-on-one | 2 | 30 min | Every two weeks | $45.07 | $1,172 |
| All-hands | 50 | 60 min | Monthly | $2,254 | $27,043 |
Large, infrequent meetings and small, frequent ones can cost about the same. Both deserve a periodic review.
Use the live timer
Open this page during a meeting and press Start. The timer multiplies the cost per second of everyone in the room by the time elapsed. You can pause and resume it, and if someone joins or leaves you can change the number of attendees without resetting it.
Tips to cut meeting costs
- Invite fewer people. Every attendee adds their full hourly cost. Share notes with people who only need the outcome.
- Default to shorter meetings. 25 or 50 minutes instead of 30 or 60 saves time and leaves room between calls.
- Always send an agenda. If a meeting has no clear goal, it probably should be an email or a message.
- Make status updates asynchronous. Written updates or short recorded videos replace many recurring syncs.
- Audit recurring meetings every quarter. Cancel the ones that no longer have a purpose and reduce the frequency of the rest.
- End early when you are done. Unused time belongs to the attendees, not to the calendar.
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. The loaded hourly cost is the annual salary divided by working hours per year, increased by a percentage for benefits and overhead.
Why add benefits and overhead to the salary?
An employee costs more than their gross salary. Employer taxes, health insurance, retirement contributions, equipment and office space usually add 20–40%. Including them gives a more realistic picture of what the company actually spends.
How many working hours are there in a year?
The common rule of thumb in the US is 2,080 hours (40 hours × 52 weeks). If you want to exclude vacation and public holidays, 1,800–1,900 hours is more accurate. You can change this value in the calculator.
What is the cost of a daily stand-up?
A 15-minute daily stand-up with 8 people earning $75,000 a year (plus 25% overhead) costs $90.14 per meeting and $23,438 per year, because it happens roughly 260 times a year.
Is the data I enter stored anywhere?
No. All calculations run in your browser. Values only leave your device if you use the share button, which puts them in the link you copy.