Who_GNU t1_jae7uwq wrote
What doesn't make sense is getting into debt, if you already have experience in an engineering role. It also doesn't make financial sense to switch from a field that is under saturated with employees to one that is over-saturated, but if that would make you happier, then it trumps the financial incentive.
Do you have experience programming? Even Verilog and VHDL experience would carry over software development, as would scripting, such as using shell scripts or TCL. Your best bet to make the transition is to spend a few years working for a small semiconductor company, in your current line of work, that would also let you take on programming projects. If you haven't asked yet, see if your current company will let you.
Experience is far more valuable than earning a degree in a different field, so if you can transition your experience from electrical engineering to programming, it'll be a much better use of your time, and you won't have to go into debt.
TitansDaughter OP t1_jaen8ct wrote
If the semiconductor industry is undersaturated its not reflected in our salaries. My CS friends with lower grades and fewer ECs are doing quite well compared to me. My coworkers are fairly open about their salaries and even mid and high level salaries are pretty meh. At worst it would be a lateral career move, the recent tech layoffs seem exaggerated to me as long as you don’t work for a major tech company. I have a few software engineer friends working at F500 companies and they’ve been completely unaffected.
As far as getting experience on the job, I’m a ChemE working as a process engineer. When I’m using software it’s Excel 95% of the time. I’ve made some useful macros for my team but other than that my role is so far removed from anything programming related that I don’t see a reasonable path for learning on the job. My role is pretty hands on, I’m not even using a computer half the time.
I get that this might seem like a stupid decision but I’ve thought about it and it’s right for me. Personally I feel like I need the structure and goal of a degree to ground me as I learn new skills, even if self teaching would be cheaper
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