Meeting Cost
Every meeting has a cost — the sum of all attendees' hourly compensation for the duration. A one-hour meeting with 12 people averaging $100,000/year costs approximately $600. Our meeting cost calculator makes this invisible cost visible in real time, encouraging leaner meetings, shorter agendas, and smaller attendee lists.
Meeting Cost
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About the Meeting Cost Calculator
Every meeting has a cost — the sum of all attendees' hourly compensation for the duration. A one-hour meeting with 12 people averaging $100,000/year costs approximately $600. Our meeting cost calculator makes this invisible cost visible in real time, encouraging leaner meetings, shorter agendas, and smaller attendee lists.
How to use it
- Enter the number of attendees and their average annual salary (or blended hourly rate).
- Start the live timer to see the cost tick up in real time during the meeting.
- Or enter a planned meeting duration to see the cost upfront.
- View total cost including benefits overhead (typically 30–40% on top of salary).
Formula & methodology
Hourly cost per person = annual salary ÷ 2,080 hours × overhead multiplier (1.3–1.4). Meeting cost = hourly cost per person × number of attendees × duration (hours). Annual meeting cost = cost per meeting × frequency × 52. Industry benchmark: 15–35% of total compensation spent in meetings for knowledge workers.
Common use cases
- Justifying a shorter meeting format or async alternative
- Calculating ROI of a meeting: does the outcome justify the cost?
- Leadership: auditing total organizational meeting spend
- Agenda planning: cutting the last 15 minutes saves 25% of cost
- Remote work: showing the financial case for async communication tools
Frequently asked questions
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