MeetMeter

Meeting Cost Calculator

Attendees, average fully-loaded salary, meeting duration — the real dollar cost shown in real time. Hang it on the wall.

Attendees

Average annual salary

Fully-loaded multiplier

Salary × benefits, taxes, equipment, office.Meeting length (minutes)

Meetings per year

Start the clock when the meeting starts

$0.00

00:00 elapsed · $0.17/sec burn rate

Cost per meeting

$600

Annual cost

$31,200

Fully-loaded hourly rate per person: $75.00.

What you entered

Attendees: 8Avg. salary: $120,000Duration: 60 minMeetings/year: 52

1
Fully-loaded hourly rate per person
($120,000 × 1.3) ÷ 2080 hrs/yr= $75
2
Group cost per hour
8 × $75= $600
3
Cost for this meeting
$600 × (60 ÷ 60)= $600
4
Annual cost
$600 × 52= $31,200

Result

Cost per meeting: $600

With 8 people at this fully-loaded rate, this 60-minute meeting costs $600 — $31,200 per year if held 52 times.

What a recurring meeting costs per year

Cost is the fully-loaded hourly rate of everyone in the room multiplied by the duration. Salary times an overhead multiplier, divided by 2,080 working hours, gives the loaded rate.

Attendees	Average salary	Overhead	Duration	Frequency	Loaded rate	Per meeting	Per year
3	$75,000	1.25x	30 min	250/yr (daily)	$45.07	$67.61	$16,902
5	$90,000	1.3x	30 min	52/yr (weekly)	$56.25	$140.63	$7,313
5	$90,000	1.3x	60 min	52/yr (weekly)	$56.25	$281.25	$14,625
10	$90,000	1.3x	60 min	52/yr (weekly)	$56.25	$562.50	$29,250
8	$120,000	1.4x	45 min	104/yr (twice weekly)	$80.77	$484.62	$50,400
20	$90,000	1.3x	60 min	12/yr (monthly)	$56.25	$1,125.00	$13,500

A weekly hour with ten people costs about $29,000 a year, more than most software budgets it would be scrutinised against. The overhead multiplier covers payroll taxes, benefits, and workspace, and typically runs 1.25 to 1.4 times salary.

Why this matters

A 1-hour weekly meeting with eight people averaging $120K fully loaded costs ~$480 per session, or ~$25K per year. If it's not generating more value than that, kill it.

Frequently asked questions

Our weekly 1-hour standup has 12 people — what does it cost per year?

If average fully-loaded salary is $120K: hourly cost per person = $120,000/2,080 ≈ $57.70. Per meeting: 12 × $57.70 = $692. Weekly for 50 weeks: $34,600/year. That's a significant budget item — make sure every attendee needs to be there.

What does 'fully loaded' salary mean?

It includes salary plus employer costs: benefits (health, dental, vision), retirement contributions, payroll taxes (FICA, unemployment), office space, equipment, and software licenses. The fully loaded cost is typically 1.25-1.4× the base salary. A $100K employee costs the company $125K-$140K.

How do I justify canceling an expensive recurring meeting?

Show the annual cost (this calculator helps), then ask: 'What decisions does this meeting make that couldn't happen asynchronously?' Most status updates and information-sharing meetings can be replaced by written updates. Reserve synchronous meetings for decision-making and brainstorming.