Training Cost Calculator
What a training programme really costs — delivery, materials and travel plus the trainees’ paid time away from work — per person, per hour and in total.
The invoice is the small part.
How the training cost calculator works
The invoice is the small part. Every trainee is paid while training and is not producing, so their loaded hourly cost times the hours is usually the largest line; add the trainer or course fee, materials and any travel or venue. Divide by people for the cost per head and by total hours for the cost per training hour, the figure to compare delivery formats on.
Formula: total = trainees × hours × loaded hourly cost + delivery + trainees × (materials + travel)
Worked examples
| Inputs | Total cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 12 people, 16 hours, 45 an hour, 4,800 delivery, 120 materials | 14,880 | 14,880 — 1,240 each |
| A conference for 3 with travel | 15,420 | 15,420 |
| E-learning: 50 people, 2 hours, 40 an hour, 30 per licence | 5,500 | 5,500 — 55 per hour delivered |
FAQFrequently asked questions
Why count the trainees’ time?
Because it is paid and it is not producing: two days of training for twelve people is 24 person-days of output. Leaving it out is the most common way training looks cheaper than it is — and the reason short, targeted sessions often beat long courses.
What is a loaded hourly cost?
Pay plus on-costs — contributions, taxes, leave, insurance — divided by productive hours; typically 1.25–1.4 times the base hourly rate. The true cost of an employee calculator derives it.
How do I compare formats?
On cost per training hour and on what it achieves: e-learning is cheap per hour but often less effective; a trainer on site costs more but saves travel. Run each format through the calculator with its own hours and costs.
Does this include lost revenue?
No — for billable staff, the time away can also mean fees not earned, which is a further cost above the pay. Add it to the hourly figure if that is your situation.
Where these figures come from
- CIPD — Employee turnover and retention factsheet — the turnover and stability index definitions used here
- US Department of Labor — the federal labour department
Last checked: September 2026. These are standard management definitions; where practice varies, the page says which convention it uses.