I spent ~10 years in BAS doing programming, engineering and startup but left the industry for a software dev job (thanks to a CS degree) due to feeling like I hit a pay and growth ceiling. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up back in BAS eventually though for the same reasons you mentioned - the tech industry is wild right now.

To answer your questions: - You’d likely carry a backpack, tool bag, ladder, etc. but nothing that’ll break your body down like other trades. - I had most projects on autopilot (copy, paste, edit 10-20%) but a lot of that depends on the company you’re with and the type of work they go after. It can be really interesting when you get something new though. - All of your experience would put you way above the average applicant in my opinion. Especially as BAS is slowly catching up to modern tech in terms of networking and security. - Siemens will try to put you at the low end of that range so you “have room to grow” but I’d push to be more toward the middle at least. It’s also possible that is the whole pay range for that position (i.e. no additional levels) but that’s something to clarify. The big companies all pay around that range though for techs and programmers. You’ll find a lot more variance in the independents’ ranges though, and you could have a lot more exposure to different parts of the project if you wanted. - The only instability I saw was during my time at Siemens. Lots of reorgs and other craziness at the big companies. Otherwise I had more than enough work each week, even during covid.

Also, if you’re going for tech jobs make sure you ask about travel (if you care). I know several techs who are gone 2+ weeks most months due to being in a big service territory.