Category
Productivity
Meeting Cost Calculator
Estimate meeting cost from attendees, average hourly rate, and meeting length
Estimated time
30 sec
Meeting Cost Inputs
Estimate direct and loaded meeting cost from attendee count, average hourly rate, meeting length, and overhead.
Use a blended attendee rate if participants have different compensation levels.
$ /hr
min
Use overhead to include benefits and indirect costs. Set to 0 if you only want direct wage cost.
%
Formula Summary
Meeting hours = duration minutes / 60
Base cost = attendees x hourly rate x meeting hours
Loaded cost = base cost x (1 + overhead%)
Cost per minute = loaded cost / duration minutes
30-minute extension = attendees x hourly rate x 0.5 x (1 + overhead%)
How It Works
This calculator helps teams understand the real cost of meeting time and make tradeoffs around meeting size and duration.
Use loaded cost when payroll overhead, benefits, or indirect costs should be included in planning decisions.
- Base cost = attendees x average hourly rate x meeting hours.
- Loaded cost applies an additional overhead percentage to base cost.
- Cost per minute helps compare alternative meeting durations quickly.
- Cost per attendee makes team-size impact visible.
- Extension cost shows the impact of adding 30 extra minutes at the same attendee count and rate.
Example Calculations
Weekly team sync
8 attendees, $65/hour average rate, 60-minute meeting, 20% overhead
$624.00 loaded total, $10.40/minute, $78.00/attendee
Recurring one-hour meetings can represent substantial monthly cost across teams.
Cross-functional planning session
5 attendees, $110/hour average rate, 45-minute meeting, 25% overhead
$515.63 loaded total, $11.46/minute, $103.13/attendee
Higher-rate participants quickly increase per-minute meeting spend.
Large stakeholder review
14 attendees, $80/hour average rate, 90-minute meeting, 15% overhead
$1,932.00 loaded total, $21.47/minute, $138.00/attendee
Large meetings should be tightly scoped because incremental time is expensive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hourly rate should I use?
Use a realistic blended rate for attendees or a conservative average if individual rates are not available.
Why include overhead?
Overhead reflects benefits, taxes, and operational load, giving a fuller cost picture than wages alone.
Can I include contractors and employees together?
Yes. Use a blended hourly rate that approximates your actual participant mix.
Does this measure meeting value?
No. It measures cost only. Combine it with clear outcomes and decision quality to evaluate effectiveness.
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