Meeting Cost Calculator

Calculate what a meeting actually cost in wages — based on number of attendees, average hourly pay and meeting length.

The meeting cost
$180
$4/minute
Scenario: what if the meeting were 15 minutes shorter?

Then it would have cost — a saving of .

How to use the meeting cost calculator

  1. Enter how many people are attending the meeting.
  2. Enter the average hourly pay for the attendees (before benefits/payroll taxes — see the note below).
  3. Enter how long the meeting lasts.

How the meeting cost is calculated

Meeting cost = Number of attendees × (Hourly pay ÷ 60) × Meeting length in minutes

The number is meant as a thought-provoking estimate, not a precise accounting figure — it highlights that meetings have a real cost in working time, which quickly adds up when many people sit in the same room. Use the calculator to consider whether a meeting could have been shorter, had fewer attendees, or been an email instead.

Note: This is a simplified calculation based on hourly pay alone. The actual cost to the employer is higher once payroll taxes, benefits and other employer-side costs are included — these vary a lot by country and company.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find the average hourly pay for the attendees?

Divide each attendee's annual salary by a typical full-time work-year (often estimated around 2,000 hours), or make a rough average across the group based on approximate salaries.

Should I include payroll taxes and other employer costs?

This calculator only shows the direct wage cost. For a more realistic picture of the employer's total cost, add a markup for payroll taxes, benefits and other employer-side costs, which vary a lot by country and company.

Can I use this to decide if a meeting is worth it?

It can be a useful starting point — compare the cost with what the meeting actually achieves. A meeting that could have been a short email or chat message costs the same regardless of how unnecessary the content was.