How much will I earn over my career?

At a $60,000 starting salary with 2% annual real growth over a 40-year career, nominal cumulative earnings (at 3% inflation) total approximately $4.6 million. At 3% real growth, $5.5 million nominal. For context, the average US full-time worker earns $1.7–1.9 million over a 30-year career.

How do career breaks affect cumulative earnings?

A 2-year career break reduces lifetime earnings directly by 2 years' salary, plus a re-entry penalty of approximately 2‒4% per year of absence in most white-collar fields. A 5-year break could reduce lifetime earnings by 15–25% including the re-entry penalty and missed promotions.

Career Earnings Projection to Retirement

How It Works

Project total cumulative career earnings from current salary to retirement age, incorporating annual salary growth, career breaks, and real vs. nominal values. Outputs lifetime nominal earnings and NPV at user-specified discount rate

Each component has a specific meaning:

Current salary — The current salary recorded for the patient or scenario being assessed.

Note: Interpret the career earnings to retirement result against the clinical thresholds and context described above.

How to Use

Enter the current salary for the patient or scenario you are assessing. Project total cumulative career earnings from current salary to retirement age, incorporating annual salary growth, career breaks, and real vs. nominal values. Outputs lifetime nominal earnings and NPV at user-specified discount rate. Use the career earnings to retirement result to inform your clinical assessment.

Glossary and Definitions

Career earnings projection: A key concept in Career Earnings to Retirement: Project total cumulative career earnings from current salary to retirement age, incorporating annual salary growth, career breaks, and real vs. nominal values. Outputs lifetime nominal earnings and NPV at user-specified discount rate.
Retirement income: A key concept in Career Earnings to Retirement: Project total cumulative career earnings from current salary to retirement age, incorporating annual salary growth, career breaks, and real vs. nominal values. Outputs lifetime nominal earnings and NPV at user-specified discount rate.
Lifetime salary: A key concept in Career Earnings to Retirement: Project total cumulative career earnings from current salary to retirement age, incorporating annual salary growth, career breaks, and real vs. nominal values. Outputs lifetime nominal earnings and NPV at user-specified discount rate.
Nominal vs real earnings: A key concept in Career Earnings to Retirement: Project total cumulative career earnings from current salary to retirement age, incorporating annual salary growth, career breaks, and real vs. nominal values. Outputs lifetime nominal earnings and NPV at user-specified discount rate.
Career planning: A key concept in Career Earnings to Retirement: Project total cumulative career earnings from current salary to retirement age, incorporating annual salary growth, career breaks, and real vs. nominal values. Outputs lifetime nominal earnings and NPV at user-specified discount rate.
Salary growth: A key concept in Career Earnings to Retirement: Project total cumulative career earnings from current salary to retirement age, incorporating annual salary growth, career breaks, and real vs. nominal values. Outputs lifetime nominal earnings and NPV at user-specified discount rate.
Career Earnings to Retirement: The Career Earnings to Retirement computes a result from the inputs you provide, based on the method described above.