Question 1

How much does the average meeting cost?

Accepted Answer

It depends on team size and salaries, but research suggests the average meeting costs around $650 in employee time. A one-hour meeting with 8 people earning $85K/year costs roughly $327. Multiply that by daily or weekly recurrence and the annual cost becomes staggering — often tens of thousands per year for a single recurring meeting.

Question 2

How do you calculate the cost of a meeting?

Accepted Answer

We convert each attendee's annual salary to an hourly rate (salary ÷ 2,080 working hours per year), then multiply by the number of attendees and the meeting duration. For example: 6 people × $40.87/hour × 1 hour = $245.19. This represents direct labor cost only — the true cost including lost productivity and context-switching is likely 2-3× higher.

Question 3

How can I reduce meeting costs?

Accepted Answer

The most effective strategies are: only invite essential participants, default to 25 or 50 minutes instead of 30 or 60, require a clear agenda before any meeting is booked, and consider async alternatives like recorded video updates or written briefs. Many teams find that cutting 2-3 unnecessary meetings per week saves thousands annually.

Question 4

Does this calculator include hidden costs?

Accepted Answer

This calculator measures direct salary cost — the time people spend in the meeting. The full cost is higher when you factor in preparation time, post-meeting follow-ups, context-switching penalties (it takes about 23 minutes to refocus after an interruption), and the opportunity cost of deep work. Think of our figure as a conservative floor.

Question 5

Is this tool free to use?

Accepted Answer

Yes, completely free with no sign-up required. TimeIsMoney.tools is supported by minimal, non-intrusive advertising. All calculations happen in your browser — we never see or store your salary data.

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