diff --git a/docs/variables.md b/docs/variables.md
index 15254d20f2ff..a3e750626b28 100644
--- a/docs/variables.md
+++ b/docs/variables.md
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ step.
 | `inputs.parameters.<NAME>` | Input parameter of the metric-emitting template |
 | `outputs.parameters.<NAME>` | Output parameter of the metric-emitting template |
 | `outputs.result` | Output result of the metric-emitting template |
+| `resourcesDuration` | Resources duration as a string. Can also be indexed for a selected resource, if available (may be one of `resourcesDuration.cpu` or `resourcesDuration.memory`. For more info, see the [Resource Duration](resource-duration.md) doc.|
 
 ### Realtime Metrics
 
diff --git a/workflow/common/common.go b/workflow/common/common.go
index 6ce060163449..f98076b24748 100644
--- a/workflow/common/common.go
+++ b/workflow/common/common.go
@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ const (
 	LocalVarPodName = "pod.name"
 	// LocalVarRetries is a step level variable that references the retries number if retryStrategy is specified
 	LocalVarRetries = "retries"
+	// LocalVarDuration is a step level variable (currently only available in metric emission) that tracks the duration of the step
+	LocalVarDuration = "duration"
+	// LocalVarStatus is a step level variable (currently only available in metric emission) that tracks the duration of the step
+	LocalVarStatus = "status"
+	// LocalVarResourcesDuration is a step level variable (currently only available in metric emission) that tracks the resources duration of the step
+	LocalVarResourcesDuration = "resourcesDuration"
 
 	KubeConfigDefaultMountPath    = "/kube/config"
 	KubeConfigDefaultVolumeName   = "kubeconfig"
diff --git a/workflow/controller/operator_test.go b/workflow/controller/operator_test.go
index 5d5ed66fbe92..2b9ca848c96e 100644
--- a/workflow/controller/operator_test.go
+++ b/workflow/controller/operator_test.go
@@ -2671,7 +2671,6 @@ func TestStepsOnExitFailures(t *testing.T) {
 	woc.operate()
 	woc.operate()
 
-	fmt.Println(woc.globalParams)
 	assert.Contains(t, woc.globalParams[common.GlobalVarWorkflowFailures], `[{\"displayName\":\"exit-handlers\",\"message\":\"Unexpected pod phase for exit-handlers: \",\"templateName\":\"intentional-fail\",\"phase\":\"Error\",\"podName\":\"exit-handlers\"`)
 }
 
diff --git a/workflow/controller/steps.go b/workflow/controller/steps.go
index 7752b4dd9c0a..520c208fcbc7 100644
--- a/workflow/controller/steps.go
+++ b/workflow/controller/steps.go
@@ -469,19 +469,19 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) prepareMetricScope(node *wfv1.NodeStatus) (map[string
 	localScope := woc.globalParams.DeepCopy()
 
 	if node.Fulfilled() {
-		localScope["duration"] = fmt.Sprintf("%f", node.FinishedAt.Sub(node.StartedAt.Time).Seconds())
-		realTimeScope["duration"] = func() float64 {
+		localScope[common.LocalVarDuration] = fmt.Sprintf("%f", node.FinishedAt.Sub(node.StartedAt.Time).Seconds())
+		realTimeScope[common.LocalVarDuration] = func() float64 {
 			return node.FinishedAt.Sub(node.StartedAt.Time).Seconds()
 		}
 	} else {
-		localScope["duration"] = fmt.Sprintf("%f", time.Since(node.StartedAt.Time).Seconds())
-		realTimeScope["duration"] = func() float64 {
+		localScope[common.LocalVarDuration] = fmt.Sprintf("%f", time.Since(node.StartedAt.Time).Seconds())
+		realTimeScope[common.LocalVarDuration] = func() float64 {
 			return time.Since(node.StartedAt.Time).Seconds()
 		}
 	}
 
 	if node.Phase != "" {
-		localScope["status"] = string(node.Phase)
+		localScope[common.LocalVarStatus] = string(node.Phase)
 	}
 
 	if node.Inputs != nil {
@@ -501,5 +501,12 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) prepareMetricScope(node *wfv1.NodeStatus) (map[string
 		}
 	}
 
+	if node.ResourcesDuration != nil {
+		localScope[common.LocalVarResourcesDuration] = node.ResourcesDuration.String()
+		for name, duration := range node.ResourcesDuration {
+			localScope[fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s", common.LocalVarResourcesDuration, name)] = duration.String()
+		}
+	}
+
 	return localScope, realTimeScope
 }
diff --git a/workflow/controller/steps_test.go b/workflow/controller/steps_test.go
index c9af094f8922..001d30bf39d4 100644
--- a/workflow/controller/steps_test.go
+++ b/workflow/controller/steps_test.go
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@ package controller
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/ghodss/yaml"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 
 	wfv1 "github.com/argoproj/argo/pkg/apis/workflow/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/argoproj/argo/test"
+	"github.com/argoproj/argo/workflow/common"
 )
 
 // TestStepsFailedRetries ensures a steps template will recognize exhausted retries
@@ -119,3 +121,49 @@ func TestStepsWithParamAndGlobalParam(t *testing.T) {
 	woc.operate()
 	assert.Equal(t, wfv1.NodeRunning, woc.wf.Status.Phase)
 }
+
+func TestResourceDurationMetric(t *testing.T) {
+	var nodeStatus = `
+      boundaryID: many-items-z26lj
+      displayName: sleep(4:four)
+      finishedAt: "2020-06-02T16:04:50Z"
+      hostNodeName: minikube
+      id: many-items-z26lj-3491220632
+      name: many-items-z26lj[0].sleep(4:four)
+      outputs:
+        artifacts:
+        - archiveLogs: true
+          name: main-logs
+          s3:
+            accessKeySecret:
+              key: accesskey
+              name: my-minio-cred
+            bucket: my-bucket
+            endpoint: minio:9000
+            insecure: true
+            key: many-items-z26lj/many-items-z26lj-3491220632/main.log
+            secretKeySecret:
+              key: secretkey
+              name: my-minio-cred
+        exitCode: "0"
+      phase: Succeeded
+      resourcesDuration:
+        cpu: 33
+        memory: 24
+      startedAt: "2020-06-02T16:04:21Z"
+      templateName: sleep
+      templateScope: local/many-items-z26lj
+      type: Pod
+`
+
+	woc := wfOperationCtx{globalParams: make(common.Parameters)}
+	var node wfv1.NodeStatus
+	err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(nodeStatus), &node)
+	if assert.NoError(t, err) {
+		localScope, _ := woc.prepareMetricScope(&node)
+		assert.Contains(t, localScope["resourcesDuration"], "24s*(100Mi memory)")
+		assert.Contains(t, localScope["resourcesDuration"], "33s*(1 cpu)")
+		assert.Equal(t, "33s", localScope["resourcesDuration.cpu"])
+		assert.Equal(t, "24s", localScope["resourcesDuration.memory"])
+	}
+}