Two-Pizza Team Cost Calculator
The two-pizza team is the idea that a team should be small enough to feed with two pizzas, usually about five to eight people, to keep communication tight. This calculator turns your headcount and average salary into a fully loaded annual and weekly run rate using an overhead multiplier, and flags whether the team is within the typical two-pizza size. The overhead multiplier and working weeks are editable so the figures reflect your own employer and country.
Team cost formula
cost per head = average salary * multiplier
annual cost = cost per head * headcount
weekly cost = annual cost / working weeks
fit = headcount <= 8 ? "Within two-pizza size" : "Above two-pizza size"
The fully loaded cost per head is base salary scaled by the overhead multiplier. Multiply by headcount for the annual run rate, then divide by working weeks for the weekly figure. The fit check compares headcount to the usual upper bound of the two-pizza guideline.
Worked example
For 6 people, an average salary of 120,000 dollars, a 1.3 multiplier, and 48 working weeks: cost per head = 120,000 * 1.3 = 156,000 dollars. Annual cost = 156,000 * 6 = 936,000.00 dollars. Weekly cost = 936,000 / 48 = 19,500.00 dollars. With 6 people the team is "Within two-pizza size".
Two-pizza teams: frequently asked questions
What is a two-pizza team?
The two-pizza team is a guideline attributed to Amazon: a team should be small enough to be fed by two pizzas, usually taken to mean around five to eight people. The idea is that small teams communicate better and move faster than large ones. This calculator uses your headcount and flags whether it fits the rule of thumb.
What is a fully loaded cost?
Fully loaded cost is salary plus the extra an employer pays on top: benefits, payroll taxes, equipment, software, and facilities. It is usually expressed as a multiplier on base salary. A common range is 1.25 to 1.4 times salary, but it varies by employer and country, so the multiplier here is an editable input.
How is the weekly cost calculated?
Annual fully loaded cost divided by the number of working weeks per year gives the weekly cost. Comparing weekly cost to the value a team delivers each week is a quick way to sanity-check whether a project or team is worth its run rate.
Why check the team size?
The two-pizza rule is about keeping teams small enough to stay coordinated. The calculator marks your headcount as within the typical two-pizza range or above it, so you can see at a glance whether the team has grown past the size the guideline suggests.
Sources and method
- The two-pizza team is a small-team guideline associated with Amazon; the size threshold here is a rule of thumb, and the overhead multiplier is an editable input.
- The cost figures are direct arithmetic on the headcount, salary, multiplier, and weeks you enter, computed exactly by this tool.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 19 June 2026. See our methodology.