CareerReturns · Career Gap Recovery
Your Career Break Has a Price Tag. Here's How to Recover It.
Career breaks destroy earnings in two ways: direct foregone income during the gap, and a 6–14% salary penalty at re-entry. This is the only tool that models both — and tells you which path (returnship, direct, or reskill) recovers them fastest.
6–14%
Salary penalty at re-entry
4–7 yrs
Typical earnings recovery time
3 paths
Compared side-by-side
DCF math
Probability-weighted analysis
Want a full 90-day plan, not just numbers?
The Career Return Roadmap turns your calculator results into a week-by-week action plan for your specific gap and industry.
Your annual compensation at the time you left work
How long have you been (or do you plan to be) out of the workforce?
Annual raise % someone in your role would have received if they never stopped working
Your Earnings Gap
Direct Break Cost
$180,336
Foregone earnings during gap
NPV of Gap Cost
$165,219
Discounted at 6%
Methodology
Cash flows are probability-weighted by path success rate. The peer baseline compounds pre-break salary at your specified growth rate as if no break occurred. NPV discounted at 6%. Break-even vs peer is the first year cumulative path earnings equal cumulative peer earnings. For tactical guidance beyond the numbers, see our career break return strategies. If you are considering business school as a re-entry route, compare MBA ROI for career changers.
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