Is learning this skill worth the investment?
$5K bootcamp + 200 hours of your time vs $8K/year salary lift over 20 years. The IRR is usually 25%+ — but only if the skill actually translates to a higher-paying role.
How the math works
Total cost = course/bootcamp fee + (study hours × your hourly rate). The opportunity-cost portion is real even if you don't see a bill — it's the alternative use of those hours.
Total benefit = expected annual salary lift × years remaining in career. We discount future earnings back to present value at your expected return rate, then compute IRR.
Typical IRRs: a $5K bootcamp + 200 hours of self-study delivering a $8K/year salary lift over 20 years has an IRR of ~35% — comfortably above market returns. The catch: only 40-60% of bootcamp graduates actually realize the projected salary lift in the first 18 months.
The conversion-rate haircut: the calculator includes a "probability of conversion" slider. Apply 50% probability and the IRR halves. Honest assessment beats optimistic assumption.
Math runs locally. Inputs never leave your browser.
Real-world scenarios
- Which skill to learn next: comparing 4 options by IRR — bootcamp vs MBA vs cert vs self-study, with the conversion-rate honesty applied.