CareerReturns · Salary Intelligence
Am I Underpaid After My Career Break?
Career returners accept 8–15% below market just to get back in the door. Enter your role and salary — we'll show you your percentile, the dollar gap, and the exact NPV of negotiating now vs. waiting vs. switching.
Your Market Position
You're $47,000 below market median
Market Range for Your Profile
P25
$110,000
Median
$132,000
P75
$158,000
P90
$185,000
Career Gap Impact
Estimated Gap Penalty
$6,800/yr
4% per gap year
Penalty Erodes In
3.0 yrs
As performance proves out
What You're Leaving On The Table
Per Year
$47,000
10-Year NPV
$407,582
Your Options
Ask for Raise Now
Target the market median ($132,000)
+$407,582
NPV gain
Strong case if you've been performing well. Asking has no direct cost.
Build Case, Ask in 6 Months
Accumulate wins, get promoted, target above-median pay
+$433,764
NPV gain
Best strategy if you've had no wins to point to yet. 6 months of documented impact dramatically strengthens your case.
Switch Jobs
Target 75th percentile ($158,000) at a new employer
+$611,804
NPV gain
Highest salary gains typically come from switching. Risk: 3-month search window and loss of institutional knowledge/relationships.
Methodology
Benchmarks sourced from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and GMAC placement data. Gap penalty model based on academic research showing ~3-5% salary discount per career break year. NPV of underpayment discounted at 6% over 10 years. All figures are base salary only — total comp may differ significantly in equity-heavy roles.