Can I afford to retrain?

Retraining costs two things: the course, and the pay you give up while you do it. The second is usually much bigger. This calculator puts both against what the new career pays, so you can see how far behind you would get and when you would be back level.

Pick a career to fill in its UK salary data, or enter your own figures.

Retraining calculator

Enter what you earn now, how long you would train, any fees, and the career you are thinking of. The calculator shows what retraining costs you, how far behind you get and when you would be back level. It needs JavaScript.

What the calculator assumes

Figures are gross pay in today's money. Your current salary stays flat, and the new career rises in a straight line from its starting salary to its mid-career salary over five years. A loan is repaid at 9% of pay over £25,000, like an Advanced Learner Loan, with interest treated as keeping pace with prices.

It is a guide to the shape of the decision, not a forecast. Tax, pay rises, pension and the cost of living while you train all change the real answer.

What should I retrain as?

The career that pays back fastest is not always the right one. A move that reuses what you already know is usually cheaper, quicker and more likely to stick than starting again. The career guides set out the routes into each job for adults, and Career Compass ranks careers from your own answers if you are not sure which direction suits you.

Retraining at 40 or 50

Age matters less than people fear and money matters more. At 40 you have more than two decades of working life to earn back the cost of retraining; at 50, often fifteen years or more. What changes is how long you can afford to earn less, so shorter, paid or part-time routes (apprenticeships, salaried training, Skills Bootcamps) count for more.

Ways to cut the cost

Apprenticeships are open to adults of any age, cost nothing and pay a wage. Your first full Level 3 qualification may be free. Skills Bootcamps are free short courses. Advanced Learner Loans cover Level 3 fees and are only repaid once you earn over £25,000. Nursing, midwifery and many allied health courses come with the NHS Learning Support Fund grant.

Retraining guides by career

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to retrain?

Course fees range from nothing (apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, a first Level 3) to tens of thousands for a second degree. For most people the bigger cost is the income given up while training. The calculator adds the two together.

Are there retraining grants in the UK?

There is no general retraining grant, but there is help for specific routes: free Skills Bootcamps, free first Level 3 courses, apprenticeships, teacher training bursaries in some subjects, and the NHS Learning Support Fund for many healthcare courses.

Is it too late to retrain at 50?

Not usually. The question is whether the route is short or paid enough to make sense with fifteen or so working years ahead. Apprenticeships, salaried training and short courses into trades and care are common at 50.

Retrain into the right thing

Career Compass ranks up to ten UK careers from your own answers, with the reasons, the routes and a 30-day plan to test a direction before you pay for any course. £19.99 once, full report included.

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More on paying to retrain

Funding rules apply to England and change often. Facts last checked October 2026; always confirm with the official source before you apply.