About the numbers

Our Methodology

Every number on this site cites its source. Here's exactly how we calculate ROI, where our data comes from, and what we're explicitly leaving out (for now).

The ROI Score

Each career gets a single ROI score from 0–100. It answers one question: how quickly does this career pay back the time and money you put in?

Formula

ROI Score = (Mid-Career Salary / Total Cost) × Time Weight × Demand Weight

The score is normalized to a 30–95 range so it's easy to compare across very different careers (a paid apprenticeship vs. a master's degree).

Time weight

Shorter paths get a bonus; longer paths get a penalty. Time you spend training is time you're not earning.

Under 6 months× 1.3

6–12 months× 1.1

1–2 years× 1.0

2–4 years× 0.85

4+ years× 0.7

Demand weight

Based on 10-year job growth from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Much faster than avg (>10%)× 1.2

Faster than avg (5–10%)× 1.1

Average (2–5%)× 1.0

Slower or declining× 0.8

Where the data comes from

BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
bls.gov/ooh
Salaries, job growth, employment stats
O*NET Online
onetonline.org
Skills, tasks, work environment
College Scorecard
collegescorecard.ed.gov
Avg cost and outcomes by school
NCES
nces.ed.gov
Tuition and cost of attendance
Industry sources
IBEW, UA, CompTIA, AWS, etc.
Apprenticeship and certification data

What we're leaving out (for now)

Regional cost-of-living adjustments — coming soon.
Opportunity cost of lost wages during full-time degree programs.
Personal fit, lifestyle preferences, and risk tolerance.
Tax burden across earning brackets.

How we update

Data is manually curated and refreshed quarterly. We plan to automate BLS pulls via API in future versions. If you spot a number that looks wrong, tell us — we publish corrections.