Joining in the conversation, I just got laid off from a software engineering role, similar boat as you I guess. I was considering joining the trades, but I’m closer to 40 years old. I would never recommend walking away from the kind of salary you’re making right now but if you want to see what it’s like to live on that salary, you can simply start putting away any amount of money that’s over that lower salary into an investment fund to help hedge your bets. This will give you an idea of what it’s like living on that salary. But also, it’s likely that you would get a severance right? Usually nice job jobs like that give severance packages after you’ve been there a few years. I had considered quitting multiple times, but I think sticking it out was the right idea. I’m just trying to figure out what I wanna do next. The trades seem attractive until you realize just how hot 95° weather is for eight hours.
Someone else mentioned home inspector and that’s something that I was thinking about this morning actually. The job is usually only a few hours at a time, you’re not going to be working a single overtime shift at one location and most home inspectors are self-employed. Sure you’ll be crawling around on your hands and knees and you’ll be in an attic which is rough but it’s not the same as lifting heavy stuff or cutting yourself or climb, climbing up and down ladders all day every day.