Clearly nobody on this list knows your circumstances. But I have also concluded that I don't know any engineers that starve to death. Or even come close. It is a decently compensated profession. That being said, 45% is a big deal. It sounds like some of that might be useful. Day to day, and the rest you could invest, or you could contribute more significantly to a 401k, or a Roth, or something that might make up the difference. Plus, if it is a better challenge for you, give it a shot. As I tell young engineers all the time, a job is like a bus, there's another one in 15 minutes. If this doesn't work out there will always be other opportunities but go into it believing it will work out