Estimate the salary cost of a meeting from its attendees, their average hourly rate and its duration — for a one-off meeting or a recurring series over a year.
The cost of one meeting is attendees multiplied by the average hourly rate, scaled by the duration in hours. Cost per minute divides the same total by the minutes, a useful figure when trimming an agenda. Recurring meetings multiply the single-meeting cost by 52 for weekly or 12 for monthly across a year. The figure is an estimate based on salary cost only — it excludes preparation time, rooms, tools and the opportunity cost of interrupted focus work, so the true cost of a meeting is higher.
What does the cost figure include? Salary time only: attendees, average hourly rate and duration. Preparation, follow-up work, rooms and software are excluded, so treat the result as a floor, not the full cost.
Why use an average hourly rate? A single average keeps the estimate quick and avoids handling individual salaries. Blended or fully loaded rates (salary plus employer costs) can be entered instead for a fuller figure.
How is the yearly cost worked out? One meeting cost multiplied by 52 for a weekly meeting or 12 for a monthly one. A one-off meeting shows the same figure as its yearly cost.