Skyrim Skill XP & Trainer Cost Calculator
Choose a skill and the levels you want to go from and to. The calculator shows the skill experience you need, what the same increases would cost at a trainer, and how much character experience they give.
Skill
Level by level
| Level | Skill XP | Running total | Trainer cost | Trainer |
|---|
Skill XP to go from 15 to 100, all skills
How skill experience works
Each of Skyrim's 18 skills has its own experience bar. Using the skill fills it, and when it is full the skill goes up by one. The amount needed for the next level grows with the level you are at:
Skill XP from level L to L + 1 = Improve Mult × L1.95 + Improve Offset
Most combat and magic skills use an Improve Mult of 2 and no offset, so going from 50 to 51 takes about 4,100 skill XP and going from 99 to 100 takes over 15,500. A few skills have a smaller multiplier and a fixed offset, which makes their curve much flatter.
How to use the calculator
- Choose a skill, then enter your current level and the level you want to reach.
- If you are under the Warrior, Mage or Thief Stone (and it covers this skill) or the Lover Stone, pick it to see how much less work the bonus saves.
- Read the skill XP you need, the character XP the increases will give you, and what the same levels would cost from trainers.
- The table below breaks it down level by level, and the chart compares every skill's full 15 to 100 climb.
Which skills are fastest to level
| Skill | Improve Mult | Offset | XP from 15 to 100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickpocket | 0.25 | 250 | 87,351 |
| Smithing, Lockpicking | 0.25 | 300 | 91,601 |
| Sneak | 0.5 | 120 | 142,401 |
| Enchanting | 1 | 170 | 278,852 |
| Alchemy | 1.6 | 65 | 428,568 |
| All other skills | 2 | 0 | 528,804 |
The total XP is only half the story. How much XP each action gives also differs between skills: one Smithing item gives XP based on its value, while one sword swing gives a small fixed amount. That is why Smithing feels fast even though its numbers look similar to Lockpicking.
Trainer costs
Trainers raise a skill by one level per session. The price depends on the level you are training from:
- Skill 50 or below: 10 × level + 50 gold
- Skill 51 to 75: 30 × level + 50 gold
- Skill 76 and above: 50 × level + 50 gold
You can train five times per character level, in any mix of skills. Journeyman trainers teach up to 50, Expert trainers up to 75 and Master trainers up to 90. No trainer goes past 90. Training a skill all the way from 15 to 90 costs 120,450 gold: 12,950 to reach 50, another 46,750 to reach 75 and 60,750 for the last 15 levels.
A well-known trick is to train with a trainer who can also be your follower. The gold you pay ends up in their inventory, so you can take it back.
Tips for faster leveling
- Pick the right stone. The Warrior, Mage and Thief Stones give +20% to their skills (Archery counts as a Thief Stone skill); the Lover Stone gives +15% to everything.
- Get the Rested bonus. Sleeping in a bed gives a temporary skill XP bonus, and more if you are married and sleep at home.
- Skill books are free levels. Each skill book raises its skill once the first time you read it, and it counts toward your character level like any other increase. See how much it adds with the level calculator.