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Calcimator

Side Project Value Calculator

Portfolio and skill value of side project investments.

Inputs

%

Results

Net Career Value

-$2,732.00

Total Estimated Value$7,660.00
Opportunity Cost$10,392.00
Total Hours Invested260
3-Year Skill Value$4,410.00
Portfolio Boost Value$1,750.00
Project ROI-26%
Effective $/Hour$29.48
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter weekly hours on the project, project duration in months, and your hourly opportunity cost rate.
  2. Set expected direct revenue ($), career skill relevance (%), portfolio impact score (1–10), and expected new contacts.
  3. Review Net Career Value, Total Estimated Value, and Opportunity Cost.
  4. A positive net career value means the project is worth the time investment even without direct revenue.

How the result changes with Weekly Hours on Project

Weekly Hours on ProjectNet Career Value
4$3,503.00
14-$6,889.00
26-$19,359.00
36-$29,751.00

What each input means

Weekly Hours on Project
Hours per week you spend on the side project.
Project Duration (months)
How long you expect to work on this project.
Your Hourly Rate ($)
Your opportunity cost per hour (what you could earn doing other work).
Current Annual Salary ($)
Used to estimate skill and portfolio boost value.
Expected Direct Revenue ($)
Revenue from the project itself (product sales, ads, freelance income).
Career Skill Relevance (%)
How relevant the skills you are building are to your career growth.
Portfolio Impact (1-10)
How impressive this project will be in your portfolio (10 = very impressive).
New Professional Contacts
Professional contacts or collaborators gained through this project.

What each result means

Net Career Value
Total estimated value minus opportunity cost of your time.
Total Estimated Value
Direct revenue plus career skill, portfolio, and networking value.
Opportunity Cost
The value of the time you are investing, at your hourly rate.
Total Hours Invested
Total hours spent on the project over its duration.
3-Year Skill Value
Projected salary boost over 3 years from skills gained.
Portfolio Boost Value
Estimated career value from having this project in your portfolio.
Project ROI
Return on investment of your time in this side project.
Effective $/Hour
Total value divided by hours invested — what each hour is worth.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Weekly Hours on Project = 10, Project Duration (months) = 6, Your Hourly Rate ($) = 40, Current Annual Salary ($) = 70000 = 8 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Net Career Value
    Net Career Value = totalValue - opportunityCost
    -2732 = $-2,732
  3. Calculate Total Estimated Value
    Total Estimated Value = directRevenue + intangibleValue
    7660 = $7,660
  4. Calculate Opportunity Cost
    Opportunity Cost = totalHours * hourlyRate
    10392 = $10,392

Engine last updated .

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