Side hustle hourly profit
See what a side hustle or gig really pays per hour. Counts self-employment tax, income tax, car miles, fees, and unpaid hours.
Payback after graduation
6.6 yrs
8.6 yrs from day 1 of schoolExample calculationPays for itself
Pays back in 6.6 years after graduation. After $48,000 in net tuition, $66,682 in foregone after-tax wages, and $13,715 in loan interest ($128,397 total economic cost), the credential adds +$160,919 in cumulative net wealth over 15 post-graduation years (NPV +$68,843 at 5.0%).
Total economic cost
$128,397
$48,000 tuition + $66,682 lost wages + $13,715 loan interest15-year net wealth gain
+$160,919
NPV +$68,843 at 5.0% discount rateYear-1 post-grad net cash
+$10,584/yr
+$15,556 after-tax bump minus $4,971 loanBreak-even starting salary
$70,616/yr
$414/mo loan payment for 10 yrsCumulative net cash flow from enrollment through post-graduation
Tracks out-of-pocket tuition and after-tax wages lost during school, followed by after-tax salary gains minus student loan payments after graduation:
| Period | Stay salary | Program / new salary | Tuition / loan pay | Annual net cash flow | Cumulative net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Yr 1 | $58,000 | $15,000 | $6,000 | -$38,680 | -$38,680 |
| School Yr 2 | $59,740 | $15,000 | $6,000 | -$40,002 | -$78,682 |
| Grad Yr 1 | $61,532 | $82,000 | $4,971 | +$10,584 | -$68,098 |
| Grad Yr 5 | $69,255 | $92,292 | $4,971 | +$12,536 | -$20,953 |
| Grad Yr 7 (Payback) | $73,472 | $97,912 | $4,971 | +$13,603 | +$5,711 |
| Grad Yr 10 | $80,285 | $106,991 | $4,971 | +$15,325 | +$49,957 |
| Grad Yr 15 | $93,072 | $124,032 | $0 | +$23,529 | +$160,919 |
How to calculate whether a degree or bootcamp pays for itself
Sticker tuition is rarely the biggest cost of going back to school full-time. When you leave a $58,000/yr job for two years, the after-tax paychecks you give up ($66,682 in our default example) often exceed the tuition bill itself. Meanwhile, the salary you would have earned if you stayed on the job keeps growing each year.
What to watch out for
To measure the true return on an educational credential, this calculator tracks three components side by side: direct cash tuition after employer Section 127 assistance ($5,250/yr federal tax-free cap), in-school after-tax wages foregone relative to your growing baseline salary, and your post-graduation after-tax salary bump minus scheduled student loan payments.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my lost salary counted after taxes instead of pre-tax?
Tuition and student loan payments are paid with after-tax dollars. Counting your foregone wages and your post-graduation salary bump on an after-tax basis keeps every dollar in the payback timeline on the same footing.
How does a part-time evening degree compare with a full-time program?
Keeping your full-time job while studying part-time eliminates foregone wages, which is often 50% to 65% of the total economic cost of a graduate degree. Click the "Part-Time Master's" preset above to see how keeping your salary and using $5,250/yr in employer tuition aid cuts payback time in half.
How should I model a 12-week or 6-month coding bootcamp?
Enter 0.25 years for a 3-month bootcamp or 0.5 years for a 6-month program, and enter the annualized tuition rate (for example, $28,000/yr for a $14,000 six-month bootcamp) or click the "6-Mo Bootcamp" preset.
Benchmark sources and dates
Starting assumptions are example benchmarks, not binding quotes. Change any input to match your own bills or offers.
| Assumption / Input | Starting value | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual net tuition & fees (`tuitionPerYear`, `programYears`) | $24,000/yr over 2 years | National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Digest of Education Statistics | 2026-04-14 |
| Pre-program & post-program salaries (`currentSalary`, `postGradSalary`, `salaryGrowthPct`) | $58,000/yr to $82,000/yr (3.0%/yr growth) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Education Pays & Occupational Outlook Handbook | 2026-04-14 |
| Student loan rate & term (`amountBorrowedTotal`, `loanAprPct`, `loanTermYears`) | $36,000 borrowed at 6.8% APR for 10 years | U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid Interest Rates and Fees | 2026-04-14 |
| Marginal tax rate on earnings changes (`marginalTaxPct`) | 24% | Internal Revenue Service Federal Income Tax Brackets and FICA Rates | 2026-04-14 |
| Opportunity cost & NPV methodology (`inSchoolEarningsPerYear`, `discountRatePct`) | $15,000/yr in-school earnings, 5.0% real discount rate | Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ROI of Credentials | 2026-04-14 |