Meeting Cost Calculator
5
$
60 min
Meeting Cost$240.38
Cost per Minute$4.01
Meetings consume paid time, and that time has a real dollar cost. This meeting cost calculator estimates what a meeting costs by converting an average annual salary into an hourly rate, then multiplying by the number of attendees and the meeting length. It is a quick way to question whether a recurring meeting earns its keep or could be shortened.
Formula
cost = attendees × (salary ÷ 2080) × (minutes ÷ 60)
- attendees
- Number of people in the meeting
- salary
- Average annual salary per attendee in dollars
- 2080
- Assumed working hours per year (40 hours × 52 weeks)
- minutes
- Meeting duration in minutes
How it works
- Enter the number of attendees and an average annual salary per person.
- Enter the meeting duration in minutes.
- The calculator converts salary to an hourly rate by dividing by 2,080 working hours per year, multiplies by attendees and the meeting's fraction of an hour, and also reports the cost per minute.
Worked example
5 people earning $80,000 a year hold a 30-minute meeting.
- Hourly rate: 80,000 ÷ 2,080 ≈ $38.46 per person.
- Meeting fraction: 30 ÷ 60 = 0.5 hours.
- Cost: 5 × 38.46 × 0.5 ≈ $96.15.
- Per minute: 96.15 ÷ 30 ≈ $3.21.
The meeting costs about $96.15, or roughly $3.21 per minute.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does the calculator use 2,080 hours per year?
- It assumes a standard full-time schedule of 40 hours a week over 52 weeks, which equals 2,080 hours. Dividing annual salary by this figure gives an approximate hourly cost per attendee.
- Does this include benefits and overhead?
- No. The estimate is based on base salary alone. Real fully-loaded labour cost is higher once benefits, taxes, and overhead are added, so treat this number as a conservative floor.
- What if attendees earn different salaries?
- Enter the average annual salary across the group. For a more precise figure, run separate calculations for each pay band and add the results together.
- How can I use the cost-per-minute figure?
- It puts a price on overrunning. Knowing each minute costs a few dollars per person makes a strong case for tighter agendas, fewer attendees, and ending on time.