Coding Bootcamp ROI Calculator
Example: Bootcamp tuition: 15000 $ · Living costs during the program: 9000 $ · Old annual salary: 45000 $ · Expected new annual salary: 78000 $
| Months to repay the program | 8.73 |
| Net gain over five years | $141,000 |
| Total program cost | $24,000 |
Worked example
A $15,000 bootcamp with $9,000 of living costs during a three-month program totals $24,000. If it takes you from a $45,000 job to a $78,000 developer role, that is a $33,000 annual salary lift. The bump repays the $24,000 in about 8.7 months. Over five years, the $165,000 of extra earnings minus the $24,000 cost leaves a net gain of about $141,000 — a strong return if you actually land the target salary.
Frequently asked questions
How realistic is the new salary I should enter?
Use the bootcamp's published, verified graduate outcomes and cross-check them against entry-level developer salaries in your city, not the headline top number. Reputable programs publish audited outcome reports; if a bootcamp will not share job-placement and salary data, treat its promises skeptically and enter a conservative figure.
Should I count living costs if I keep working during the program?
If you attend part-time and keep your job, set living costs to zero or a small figure, since you are not giving up income. If you quit to attend full-time, include both the living costs and the fact that your old salary drops to zero during those months, which lengthens the payback.
What if I do not land a job right away?
A gap between graduating and getting hired delays the payback directly — every month unemployed is a month the bump is not repaying the cost. Build a cash buffer for a realistic job search of several months, and treat the payback figure here as a best case that assumes a quick placement.
Is a bootcamp better than a degree for this?
For a fast, targeted switch into software, a bootcamp is usually far cheaper and quicker than a second degree, which is why its payback can be under a year. A degree may unlock roles a bootcamp cannot, so run both this tool and our degree ROI calculator and compare the payoffs against your specific goal.