How does the career break planner work?

Enter your current salary, expected break duration, monthly expenses, liquid savings, and target return-to-work salary. The planner calculates your financial runway, models cash flow year by year, and estimates the long-term wealth difference between taking a break versus staying employed — all using 2025 US tax brackets.

Does this tool account for taxes?

Yes. The calculator applies full 2025 US federal income tax brackets, standard deductions by filing status (single, married filing jointly, head of household), FICA taxes, and state income taxes for all 50 states plus DC — so your net income and runway estimates are accurate.

Which inputs have the biggest impact on results?

Break length, monthly living expenses, available liquid assets, and your expected salary after the break are the highest-impact variables. Side income during the break and one-time payments like severance can meaningfully extend your runway.

What is the wealth gap in the projections?

The wealth gap compares a stay-employed scenario against a career break scenario using the same annual investment return assumption. It quantifies the long-term opportunity cost of pausing income and retirement contributions over your chosen projection horizon.

Can I use this for a sabbatical, layoff gap, or parental leave?

Yes. The planner is designed for any planned or unplanned income pause — voluntary sabbatical, job loss, parental leave, graduate school, starting a business, or caregiving. Any break where your income drops to zero or to a reduced level can be modeled.

Are retirement account withdrawals included?

You can enter your 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, SEP-IRA, HSA, and other retirement balances for reference. The planner tracks them separately from liquid assets and does not count them toward your cash runway to avoid modeling early-withdrawal penalties by default.

Planwell

Pricing Security

Financial Planning

Retirement Calculator College Savings Calculator Pay off debt or invest

Who We Are Blog

Career Break Planner

Plan your career break and understand the financial impact

Taking a career break can be a life-changing experience, whether for travel, education, family, starting a business or due to unforeseen circumstances such as a layoff. Use this calculator to see how a career break might affect your finances.

1. Break Timing

When & How Long

Starting Age of Job Break

Break Time Period

Break Start Date

2. Income Factors

Salary

Current Income (Annual)

New Starting Salary After Break

Spouse

Spouse Age

Spouse Salary (Annual)

Other Income

Side Income During Break (Annual)

One-Time Income

Tax Profile (2025)

Filing Status

State of Residence

Federal income tax

$18,047

State income tax

$7,187

FICA (SS + Medicare)

$9,180

Take-home

$85,586 (71.3%)

3. Expenses

Regular Expenses

Living Expenses (Monthly)

Housing (Monthly)

Special Expenses During Career Break

EXPENSE 1

Type of Expense

Amount per Year

Insurance (Monthly)

Other (Monthly)

4. Assets

Liquid Assets

Cash Savings

Brokerage Assets

Retirement Assets

Assets Usable for Job Break

What portion of cash and investment assets do you want to use for your break?

Cash

Brokerage Assets

This is a planning tool for educational purposes. Consult a financial advisor for personalized advice.