Free tool
Cost per qualified lead calculator
Work out what each contacted and qualified lead costs your SDR team today, then compare it with an AI calling plan using your own numbers.
Labor = 1,000 leads × 6 attempts ÷ 40 dials/hour × $35.00/hour = $5,250.00
Monthly cost = $5,250.00 labor + $500.00 tooling = $5,750.00
Contacted = 1,000 × 25% = 250; qualified = 250 × 20% = 50
Cost per qualified lead = $5,750.00 ÷ 50 = $115.00
Monthly cost = $3,000.00 plan + $0.00 other = $3,000.00
Contacted = 1,000 × 25% = 250; qualified = 250 × 20% = 50
Cost per qualified lead = $3,000.00 ÷ 50 = $60.00
How the calculator works
It starts from the leads you call each month. Leads times call attempts gives total dials. Dials divided by dials per hour gives SDR hours, and hours times the loaded hourly cost gives labor; in headcount mode, labor is the number of SDRs times their monthly cost. Add tooling and you have the monthly cost. Contacted leads are leads times the contact rate, qualified leads are contacted leads times the qualification rate, and each cost per lead is the monthly cost divided by that count. The formula with your numbers is printed under each result.
Why cost per qualified lead beats cost per dial
Dials and talk time are easy to count and easy to inflate. Cost per qualified lead ties spend to the leads sales actually wants, so it is the number to compare when you change staffing, tools or calling hours. Track contact rate and qualification rate separately: the first tells you about reach and timing, the second about lead quality and the conversation itself.
About the AI scenario
The AI column uses the plan price you enter plus any cost you keep, such as the reps who take qualified handoffs. Harmony.ai plans start at $3K a month and are billed on call minutes, so enter the plan quoted for the volume above; at higher volume the plan costs more. Its contact and qualification rates start equal to yours, so the default comparison is cost only. If you have results from your own pilot, enter them; the calculator does not assume any uplift. To see what changes in practice, look at Harmony.ai AI SDR or Speed-to-Lead.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate cost per qualified lead?
Divide your total monthly calling cost, people plus tools, by the number of leads that met your qualification criteria that month. Qualified leads equal leads times contact rate times qualification rate.
What is the difference between cost per contacted lead and cost per qualified lead?
Cost per contacted lead divides your cost by every lead you actually spoke with. Cost per qualified lead divides it only by the leads that met your criteria, so it is always equal or higher and closer to what pipeline really costs.
What should I include in SDR cost?
Use a loaded cost: salary, commission, benefits, payroll taxes, management and overhead. In hourly mode, divide that by paid hours. Leave the dialer and data costs out, because they have their own tooling field.
Does the AI scenario assume better contact or qualification rates?
No. Both rates default to the ones you entered for your team, so the comparison shows cost only. Change them only if you have measured results from a pilot.