Meeting Cost Calculator
See the true dollar cost of any meeting. Enter the number of attendees, average salary, and duration to find out exactly how much that meeting costs your organization.
Free Meeting Cost Calculator — Know the True Price of Every Meeting
The SmarterSources Meeting Cost Calculator reveals the real dollar cost of your meetings by converting attendee salaries into an hourly rate and multiplying by meeting duration. Most organizations dramatically underestimate how much they spend on meetings. When you multiply the hourly wages of every person in the room by the time spent, the numbers add up fast. This calculator runs entirely in your browser with no data sent anywhere.
How the Meeting Cost Formula Works
The calculation is straightforward: Meeting Cost = (Number of Attendees x Average Hourly Rate) x Duration in Hours. We convert annual salary to an hourly rate by dividing by 2,080 (the standard number of working hours in a year: 40 hours/week x 52 weeks). This gives you the loaded cost of every hour each person spends in a meeting instead of doing their regular work.
The Hidden Cost of Meetings
The dollar cost you see in this calculator is actually a conservative estimate. Meetings carry additional hidden costs that are harder to quantify: preparation time (reading agendas, gathering data), context-switching penalties (it takes 15-25 minutes to regain deep focus after a meeting), cascading scheduling conflicts, and the opportunity cost of work that does not get done. Research from Microsoft found that the average employee spends 57% of their work time in meetings, chats, and emails.
Tips to Reduce Meeting Overhead
Audit your invite list. Every additional attendee increases the cost linearly. Ask yourself: does this person need to be in the room, or can they just read the notes?
Default to shorter meetings. Set your calendar defaults to 25 minutes (instead of 30) or 50 minutes (instead of 60). Parkinson's law says work expands to fill the time available.
Require an agenda. No agenda, no meeting. A clear agenda keeps discussions focused and prevents meetings from running over.
Replace with async. Status updates, FYIs, and simple decisions can often be handled through email, Slack, or a shared document instead of a synchronous meeting.
Track and review. Use this calculator regularly to keep meeting costs visible. When teams see the dollar amount, they naturally become more intentional about when and how they meet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate the cost of a meeting?
Divide each attendee's annual salary by 2,080 working hours to get their hourly rate. Multiply the combined hourly rate of all attendees by the meeting duration. For example, 5 people averaging $80,000/year equals about $192 for a one-hour meeting.
Why are meetings so expensive?
Meetings multiply cost by headcount. One hour with 8 people does not cost one hour of productivity, it costs eight. Add preparation time, context-switching, and opportunity costs, and the real price is even higher than the salary-based calculation.
How many hours per week does the average employee spend in meetings?
Research shows the average employee spends 15 to 20 hours per week in meetings. Senior managers can spend up to 23 hours weekly. A Harvard Business Review study found 71% of senior managers consider meetings unproductive and inefficient.
How can I reduce meeting costs?
Limit attendees to essential participants, use shorter meeting durations, always set a clear agenda, replace status updates with asynchronous communication, and cancel meetings that lack a concrete decision to be made.
What does 2,080 working hours per year mean?
2,080 is the standard number of working hours in a year for a full-time employee: 40 hours per week multiplied by 52 weeks. This is the most commonly used figure for converting annual salary to an hourly rate in the United States.
Is my data safe?
Yes. This calculator runs entirely in your browser. No salary data or meeting information is sent to any server and nothing is stored.