There are a lot of reasons, which I have been discussing on and off throughout my time on LW, and would take a while to compile and articulate. But on the matter of whether this is a “grass is greener” bias: I’ve been in aerospace engineering for almost seven years now, and the high point of any day for me is programming, on or off the job. I have very extensively seen the grass both on this side of the fence and the other, and I definitely do not want to be doing this for another ten years, even counting the status uplift I seem to get on telling people that I’m in aerospace engineering.
Furthermore, what matters to me is the actual wage [1] I can get, not the relative theoretical amount that I’m being “underpaid”. There is a huge chasm, at least with regard to where I am right now, between what I could theoretically get (assuming lots of connections and specific experience I don’t have), and what I actually would get, given my present situation.
So I do think it’s worthwhile to compile my numerous specific reasons in a comment, but I don’t think the concerns you have raised justify any fundamental reconsideration of this transition that would take priority over preparation for the program—though if I get some free time, I will do as you have suggested.
[1] please, no complaints about the distinction between “salary” and “income” and “wage” and “freelance income” … I’m using “wage” in the economic sense, of payment for labor, irrespective of what form it takes.
There are a lot of reasons, which I have been discussing on and off throughout my time on LW, and would take a while to compile and articulate. But on the matter of whether this is a “grass is greener” bias: I’ve been in aerospace engineering for almost seven years now, and the high point of any day for me is programming, on or off the job. I have very extensively seen the grass both on this side of the fence and the other, and I definitely do not want to be doing this for another ten years, even counting the status uplift I seem to get on telling people that I’m in aerospace engineering.
Furthermore, what matters to me is the actual wage [1] I can get, not the relative theoretical amount that I’m being “underpaid”. There is a huge chasm, at least with regard to where I am right now, between what I could theoretically get (assuming lots of connections and specific experience I don’t have), and what I actually would get, given my present situation.
So I do think it’s worthwhile to compile my numerous specific reasons in a comment, but I don’t think the concerns you have raised justify any fundamental reconsideration of this transition that would take priority over preparation for the program—though if I get some free time, I will do as you have suggested.
[1] please, no complaints about the distinction between “salary” and “income” and “wage” and “freelance income” … I’m using “wage” in the economic sense, of payment for labor, irrespective of what form it takes.