If you're hunting for a tech job in today's competitive landscape, you've likely stumbled across Pathrise.
Their promises are certainly enticing—personalized mentorship, exclusive job opportunities, and significantly higher salaries.
For many job seekers feeling stuck, it sounds like exactly what you need.
But let's talk about the elephant in the room: that Income Share Agreement (ISA) could cost you thousands. So, is Pathrise actually worth it? Or would you be better off investing those resources elsewhere?
Diving into the Pathrise infrastructure, checking out the experiences of users past and present online, and bringing it all together, here's a lowdown on what the Pathrise program is all about and whether it's right for you.
What Is Pathrise?
Pathrise is essentially a career accelerator offering mentorship, training, and job search support primarily for people seeking tech roles.
Founded in 2017 by Kevin Wu, they use an income share agreement (ISA) model—you pay nothing upfront but commit to sharing a percentage of your income after landing a job.
How does Pathrise work?
The process is pretty structured:
- Application and assessment: You apply online, take skills assessments, and interview with your team
- Matching with mentors: If accepted, you're paired with industry mentors based on your target role
- Training program: You receive personalized coaching on resumes, interviews, and job search strategy
- Job application support: They help identify opportunities and even apply to positions on your behalf
- Offer negotiation: Once you receive job offers, they assist with salary negotiation
- Payment through ISA: After securing a position, you begin paying a percentage of your salary (more on this later)
Career tracks available
As of 2025, Pathrise offers specialized tracks for:
- Software Engineering
- Data Science
- Product Management
- Product Design
- Marketing
- Sales
- Strategy & Operations
The Pathrise Cost Breakdown: Understanding the Financial Commitment
The cost of Pathrise is probably the most important because it works slightly differently than most other services in this industry. So, pay close attention.
Pathrise uses a system called the "Income Share Agreement" that has evolved over the years. This means the service is completely free to use at first, but as soon as you get into employment, they'll start charging you a percentage of your earnings.
Now, this is where things get a little complicated. The amount you'll actually have to pay isn't clearly stated online.
From the official Pathrise cost page, you'll find you get:
- You pay $0 for your course information upfront
- You get a two-week free trial to see whether you qualify
- You'll still pay $0 if you don't get employed by the end of the Pathrise placement term
- If you do get employed, you'll be paying back between 7% and 14% of your monthly salary until your loan is paid off or you hit the maximum payment term (whichever comes first)
This means if you sign up and you're not employed by the Pathrise end-date, you won't have to pay anything. However, if you do get employed, you'll have to start paying.
Note, this means if you get employed at all (it doesn't have to be the job you were aiming for) and hit the payback criteria. Since Pathrise is typically a 12-month commitment, if you get employed during this time, the chances are you'll be paying them back.
So this begs the question, how much is the loan amount?
Well, we don't really know. There's no information about it clearly posted anywhere on the website, and only reports from previous users on forums, such as Reddit.
Since there are no official figures, we'll go with what we have, which points to:
- Basic: 7% of the first year's salary, capped at $12,000.
- Essentials: 11% of the first year's salary, capped at $18,000.
- Pro: 14% of the first year's salary, capped at $24,000
That means:
- On a $100,000 salary with the Basic plan, you'd pay $7,000 over 12 months.
- On a $160,000 salary with the Essentials plan, you'd pay $17,600 over 12 months.
- On a $200,000 salary with the Pro plan, you'd pay $24,000 (capped amount) over 12 months.
Is that really worth it? A lot of people don't agree.
What's more, if you want to leave early, you'll need to pay $250 a week up until the term ends (which is hinted at being 12 months), so that's thousands of dollars you may not have.
Reddit user in Pathrise for CyberSecurity (edited for readable):
I'm currently in Pathrise, and it's really hard. My current degree is from a university abroad (not a US university). I completed my Master's in Computer Science right now, and I feel like I'm scammed. Even after 2 months, if you leave Pathrise, they'll charge 250$ a week. If you've been on the Job Search Plan, which lasts three months, which is 13 weeks = 13* 250$ = 3250$. that's what you pay, even when not using the service.
Even the crazy thing is you gonna pay for that 2 weeks free trial, too.
Which is a total 3750$ for just 3 months without getting a single interview call or anything! All you end up with is a resume, which already millions of resumes found online, and another thing you end up with is "Same as the YouTuber's advice to try networking and connecting with industry people and stuff like that." I'm planning to leave. I think they will charge me 3000 for just 2 months, and it will be moving to my credit card debt it's hard for an International student like us :-( Do not join!!!!
What Pathrise actually provides: Services and support
So, we know it's potentially expensive, but if you're getting good results, it would be worth the hefty price tag, right? Well, let's break down exactly what you get with Pathrise.
Core curriculum and materials
- Role-specific training materials and practice problems
- Resume templates, cover letter examples, and networking scripts
- Mock interviews with feedback and recorded sessions
- Negotiation frameworks and scripts
Personalized coaching
- Weekly or bi-weekly calls with industry professionals
- Feedback on resumes before submission
- Practice interview sessions tailored to specific companies
- Personalized job search strategies based on your background
Job placement support
- Suggestions for positions that fit your profile
- Help with customizing applications
- Potential connections to partner companies
- In some tracks, they submit applications on your behalf
This all sounds great, in theory, but the reality is a little different.
There are plenty of past users online who state that Pathrise is simply rebranding and marking up information that is relatively accessible online for free via blogs, YouTubers, and industry podcasts.
Connecting with industry experts is undoubtedly useful, but as one Redditor posted:
From my experience, this program is useful if you have no experience which plateaus quickly. Pathrise does fulfill their side of the agreement. After all, Pathrise has helped people get jobs. They go over this material and provide information to accelerate your skills for the career you want. However, this information can generally be found online or purchased at a margin of the cost.
Another commented:
It was really more of a leetcode practice bootcamp than anything.
Who also stated:
Their program was one month of teaching material (one lecture session a week for 4 weeks) followed by 3 months of "support" where you're basically on your own and applying to jobs. Everything from the lectures can be found on YouTube. Everything they teach can be found from channels such as CSDojo. The "support" phase is where they leave you on your own. You apply to jobs by yourself, keep a record of your applications and their statuses, and check in once a week with your advisor.
Looking online, there's a common mindset that platforms like Pathrise are, in a way, malicious. They thrive on the fears of new graduates who are desperate to get into the industry and into a high-paying role at the likes of Google.
After not hearing back from potential employers and having no luck in interviews, they seek out platforms like Pathrise and think, "What do they have to lose?" Regardless of whether you get a job through Pathrise, they'll usually get paid, which means it's not in their interest to keep you on.
The pros: Where Pathrise delivers value
Despite the reservations above, Pathrise does have a 4.1-star rating on Trustpilot (3.2 on Google), so they must have something to offer. If you go through the process, sure, there are certainly benefits you can get if it works for you, including:
Structured accountability
Many job seekers struggle with maintaining momentum. Pathrise provides:
- Regular check-ins to keep you on track
- Clear milestones and goals
- Structured frameworks for each job search phase
- A community of peers sharing the same journey
Industry-specific guidance
Fellows consistently praise the specificity of advice:
- Role-tailored resume optimization
- Company-specific interview preparation
- Insider knowledge of hiring processes
- Technical preparation aligned with current industry expectations
Salary negotiation support
This appears to be one of their strongest offerings:
- Data-driven salary negotiation strategies
- Specific scripts and email templates
- Back-channel information about company compensation
- Direct support during the negotiation process
The question is whether or not this is something you wish to pay thousands of dollars for. As above, a lot of this can be sourced for free or for a much more affordable price elsewhere on the internet.
The cons: Significant drawbacks and concerns
Despite its benefits, there are several noteworthy limitations you should carefully consider:
Extremely high cost relative to value
The most frequent criticism is that the cost doesn't align with the value:
- Similar resources are available through cheaper alternatives
- Much of the guidance can be found through free or low-cost online resources
- The ISA structure means successful candidates (who might need less help) pay the most
As one Reddit user bluntly put it: "There's no service Pathrise could possibly provide that is worth over $5000. It's not a literal scam; it's just extremely predatory."
Variable mentor quality and availability
Mentor experiences vary dramatically:
- Some fellows report minimal engagement from their mentors
- Advice can feel generic rather than personalized
- Industry knowledge may not be as current as advertised
- Mentor changes mid-program aren't uncommon
Limited placement power
Despite implications of special access:
- Pathrise doesn't have exclusive job listings unavailable elsewhere
- Their network of partner companies appears more limited than suggested
- Many fellows still find positions through conventional job boards
- The "application on your behalf" service has mixed reviews
Concerning contract terms
The ISA contains provisions that give many potential fellows pause:
- Vague definitions of qualifying employment can trigger payment obligations
- Limited ability to pause payments during employment gaps
- Potential conflicts of interest in job recommendations (higher salaries = higher payments)
- Reports of pressure to accept offers quickly to meet program metrics
What's more, only 44% of employees on Glassdoor say they would recommend working at Pathrise, averaging a 3.5-star rating.
Now, this is my personal opinion (not one representing Mentorcruise or any professional body), but looking through the Trustpilot reviews, something seems off.
Many of the five-star reviewers have one review, which is Pathrise, which seems to have AI-generated copy that doesn't really tell in detail about their experiences with Pathrise but just says how "great" it is and has their name labeled as "customer."
While we can't actually be sure whether or not these are legitimate (there are certainly legitimate ones there), take a look here and see for yourself what you think.
Alternatives to Pathrise worth considering
Bringing this all together, and in my personal opinion, it's just not worth paying thousands of dollars and being stuck in a 12 to 36-month contract when trying to seek a job.
Many online users who have been through the experience say they wouldn't recommend it or do it again.
This is no shade at Pathrise. They clearly have a lot of hype around them and must work for some people, but generally, it seems that it's just not a good fit for everyone.
Therefore, I implore you don't see it as a silver bullet solution to your employment stresses but instead look around to find the best fit for you. If you think Pathrise is the way, then great, it's available.
If it doesn't fit right with you, however, be aware that alternatives might provide better value.
Free and low-cost resources
- Tech interview preparation: LeetCode Premium, AlgoExpert, or Interview Cake ($150-300/year)
- Resume optimization: VMock or resume review communities on Reddit (free to $100)
- Negotiation training: Lewis Lin's books or Josh Doody's "Fearless Salary Negotiation" ($20-50)
- Job search structure: Creating your own system with Notion or Trello (free)
Professional career services
- Career coaches: Independent coaches typically charge $100-300/hour without ISA commitments
- Mentoring services: Receive one-to-one mentoring from industry experts who have real-world experience for a much more affordable monthly cost.
- Resume services: Professional resume writers charge $200-500 for a complete package
- Mock interview platforms: Services like Interviewing.io or Pramp ($100-300/month)
- RecruiterKey: Connects you with recruiters for a flat fee, typically $500-1,000
Skills-focused bootcamps
- Coding bootcamps: Many offer career services along with technical training
- Tech apprenticeships: Programs like Multiverse or Apprenti that pay you during training
- University extension programs Often include career support at lower costs
- Company-sponsored training: Programs like AWS re/Start or Google Career Certificates
Wrapping up
After thorough evaluation, the verdict is clear: Pathrise delivers legitimate job search assistance, but at a cost that's difficult to justify.
While their program may help some candidates secure positions, the $15,000-$25,000 price tag through their Income Share Agreement represents a significant financial commitment that will impact your earnings for years.
Most fellows report finding similar value through substantially more affordable resources.
Before committing, honestly assess your specific job search obstacles, calculate the real impact of giving away a percentage of your income for two years, and explore free or low-cost alternatives.
Remember that Pathrise isn't a scam, but it's priced at a premium that exceeds the value most candidates receive, creating a financial burden precisely when you should be building security.
Don't compromise your financial future for career guidance.
Mentorcruise offers personalized support from industry professionals at transparent monthly rates with no long-term commitments or income-based fees.
Connect with a mentor today who can provide the same personalized interview preparation, resume optimization, and negotiation strategies without the burdensome costs that follow you for years.