Attendees
Everyone whose time you’re burning — including people quietly multitasking.
Tool 08
Meeting Cost Calculator — Live Dollar Clock
Open this on a second screen during the call. Watch the dollars tick up — a nudge to keep the meeting short and useful.
Hourly rate
Rough fully loaded cost per person (salary ÷ productive hours, or a company average).
Burn / min
Attendees × rate ÷ 60. That’s what each minute of “quick sync” costs.
Live total
Start when the call begins. Pause / Resume for breaks. Mute the ticker if the dollars are too loud.
Example
6 people at $65/hr → $6.50/min, about $195 for a 30-minute call, $390 for an hour. Start the clock and see it climb.
How do I calculate meeting cost?
Meeting cost ≈ attendees × average hourly rate × hours. Per minute = (attendees × hourly) ÷ 60. Example: 6 people at $65/hr → $6.50/min, about $195 for a 30-minute call.
Is a meeting cost clock exact payroll cost?
No — it’s a communication tool. Fully loaded cost (benefits, overhead) is often higher than base salary ÷ hours. Use a number your team finds believable.
What does Mute ticker do on the meeting cost clock?
It freezes the dollar display so the climbing total isn’t distracting on a shared screen. The clock still runs; uncheck Mute to reveal the current cost.
When should I use a meeting cost calculator?
Standing syncs that drift, all-hands that could be email, or any meeting where “just five more minutes” keeps happening.