The average full-time coding bootcamp charges about $14,000 — but that's the smallest number in the decision. A $45,000-a-year career changer who quits for 3 months of class and 2 months of job hunting invests $32,750 all-in, because the forgone paycheck ($18,750) outruns the tuition. Land the average $69,000 starting salary and the bet repays in 19.6 months; go part-time and it's 8.4. Here's the whole ledger.
Tuition is the visible line. The investment is everything: tuition, the salary that stops during the program and the search, and — if you finance — the spread on top. The 2025 landscape:
| Cost line | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time tuition | ~$14,000 avg ($10k-$20k most) | Course Report / Metana 2025 |
| Online programs | $7,000-$15,000 | Cheaper, self-discipline priced in |
| Broad market | $2,000-$20,000 | From part-time courses to premium brands |
| Income Share Agreement | ~17% of income, 24 months | ≈ $23,460 at $69,000 — usually beats upfront in the wrong direction |
| Forgone salary (FT switcher) | $18,750 on $45k over 5 months | The line nobody markets |
Read the ISA line twice. "Pay nothing until you're hired" sounds free; at typical terms it's the most expensive way to buy the same seat unless your outcome lands soft. Upfront tuition with a scholarship almost always beats a 17%-for-24-months claim at the salaries bootcamp grads actually earn.
Two numbers deserve your attention, and the gap between them is the diligence. Course Report's 2025 alumni surveys put the average starting salary near $69,000 with a median raise of about 56% — roughly a $25,000 jump for a mid-career changer. CIRR, the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting, audits school-reported outcomes, and its first-role medians run closer to $66,000, with big-metro grads often clearing $75,000. Plan around the audited floor. And since the raise is what repays the investment, your current salary sets the ceiling on the whole bet: leaving $85,000 for a $69,000 first dev role is a different decision than leaving $40,000.
Tuition, forgone pay, placement odds, and the raise — payback in months and 5-year net, both formats.
Open the Bootcamp ROI Calculator →Same switcher ($45,000 now, $32,750 invested, 80% placement odds), different outcomes:
| Post-bootcamp salary | Expected monthly raise | Payback |
|---|---|---|
| $55,000 | $667 | 49.1 months |
| $60,000 | $1,000 | 32.8 months |
| $65,000 | $1,333 | 24.6 months |
| $70,000 | $1,667 | 19.6 months |
| $75,000 | $2,000 | 16.4 months |
| $85,000 | $2,667 | 12.3 months |
The placement rate bends the same curve: at 70% odds the $70,000 row stretches to 22.5 months; at 90% it compresses to 17.5. This is why school selection — specifically CIRR-audited placement — matters more than curriculum differences. A program that places 15 points better saves you more months than a program that teaches a fancier stack.
Everything above assumes the dramatic version: quit, study, search. Run it keeping your job — evening and weekend hours, longer program, same $70,000 target — and the investment collapses to tuition: $14,000. Payback: 8.4 months. Five-year expected net: $86,000, a 6.14x return against 2.05x full-time.
The full-time format isn't irrational — cohort intensity, faster entry, and an extra year at the new salary claw back some of the $18,750. But be honest about what you're buying: full-time is a lifestyle and accountability upgrade, priced at roughly the cost of the tuition again. If discipline isn't your constraint, part-time dominates.
For the degree-lane comparison, the MBA ROI calculator runs the same forgone-salary math on a $110,000 program, and the generic ROI calculator handles any other version of the trade. The salary calculator converts the post-bootcamp offer into hourly and per-paycheck terms before you sign.
Full-time US bootcamps average about $14,000 in tuition, with most programs between $10,000 and $20,000; online programs run $7,000-$15,000. Income Share Agreements trade tuition for about 17% of income for 24 months, which totals roughly $23,460 at a $69,000 starting salary — usually more than paying upfront.
The math usually works if the job lands. A $45,000-a-year worker going full-time invests $32,750 all-in — $14,000 tuition plus $18,750 of forgone pay over five months. Landing a $70,000 role repays that in 19.6 months at 80% placement odds and nets about $67,250 over five years. Part-time, the same outcome breaks even in 8.4 months. The risk isn't the tuition, it's the placement rate.
Course Report's 2025 alumni data puts the average starting salary near $69,000 with a median raise of about 56% — roughly $25,000 for a mid-career changer. CIRR-audited first-role medians run closer to $66,000, and grads in big metros often clear $75,000. Plan around the audited floor, not the marketing average.
The paycheck you stop earning. Quitting a $45,000 job for a 3-month program plus a 2-month job search forgoes $18,750 — a third more than average tuition. Living costs during the program add more if you're not keeping the job, which is why part-time formats roughly halve the payback period.
Yes, but the market has tightened since 2020 and the placement rate is now the number that matters. Favor programs publishing CIRR-audited outcomes — credible schools land 70-90% of job-seeking grads within 180 days. Pair the certificate with a portfolio of real shipped projects; the credential opens the door, the portfolio walks you through it.