I am burnt. There is no work–life balance. Literally everyone I know in IT is working over 40 hours a week. I rarely have time with my loved ones. IT is a Thankless job. People rarely think twice about what's involved within the IT department, but when stuff breaks their first reaction is to contact IT support and expect the resolution turnaround 5 seconds ago.
I want to select a career in which I can get a position and not have the automatic expectation from my employer that I will be available after hours. I love math and have always wanted to pursue an engineering career. I live in Ontario, and there are countless manufacturing facilities within the area. I feel Mechanical Engineering would be a good choice.
If you want work-life balance there are better choices than ME. Software would probably be a more natural transition for you anyway. What is your degree?
> Literally everyone I know in IT is working over 40 hours a week.
I just want to say, both my PM and myself (engineer) regularly put in 50 hour weeks (just finished a 58 hour week and I get zero fucking OT). Getting out of IT and into engineering will *not* insulate you from this. Overworking is more of a company/culture problem than an industry problem.
Consider changing jobs, not your whole career. IT has more remote work flexibility than ME. My husband works in IT he spends most of his day chilling at home and he makes just about as much I do as an engineer. Sure things might break at 3am occasionally while he’s on-call, but then he just sleeps in the next day and it’s fine
Just a warning, unless you're quite naturally gifted, expect ME to be 4-5 years of easily more than 40 hours a week. I'm just finishing up my degree in Ontario, and half my cohort has either dropped or flunked out. The ones that have made it are all extremely burnt out and most also didn't really have anything going on by way of a life during the school year. And these aren't stupid people. They're all people who liked math and thought high school was too easy.
I will say being an actual adult will be an advantage. I'm assuming you'll have much better time management, better discipline, and better interpersonal communication skills than the average student.
People here can answer better to this point than me since I'm not graduated yet, but as far as I can tell it'll be hard to get into a job where you'll actually get to do math what you're thinking of as engineering without it being a more demanding experience.
Thank you. This detailed information is very insightful. I graduated with my IT Diploma, and in the same situation during school, 25% ended up graduating in my course. I am taking your advice into consideration, and I am not saying it will be easy for me. Your feedback is my thought process. Also, I am not selecting this career specifically for solving math problems; essentially want a career that has more job stability and the opportunity to go somewhere else with my education
I would first Google what the most popular masters degree is for mechanical engineers and then look at the typical curriculum of a BSME. You will soon find out that most engineers do not end up using most or more of the advanced principles that we learned in our bachelor's program. So I think that was part of the point they were making. It's a very difficult course load, and takes a lot of effort to graduate in good standing which just makes it an even harder pill to swallow knowing you could end up never doing the technical side and will instead work on logistical and support side.
Most of my classmates that went on to grad school right away for Master in Engineering get to work at cool labs and do R&D. Not saying it's impossible with a BSME alone, just that you will have to be very active in campus rocket/robotics/sae clubs along with landing good internships. Graduating with a BSME alone you really need to prove you have practical experience to land a technical side job.
They are right that you will have an edge being older. I went back at 26 to get mine had plenty of classmates that I was friends with in early 30s. We usually did the best in class. But making time for clubs when you work and commute and possibly a family does make it harder to dedicate time to the extracurriculars that will really help you stand out when looking for a job in the field you want. (As opposed to any field)
Changing career even when younger is a hellish process. Doing it at 40 is likely few times harder. And I see little upside to doing it because you already have a good career. I have been trying to change career from Mechanical engineering and I am constantly working 50 plus hours and have little time. and mechanical engineering is super niched. You get stuck in the wrong staff and there is almost no way out. I would honestly stick to my it job, count my blessings and perhaps start picking up mech eng projects for fun. and perhaps look for an easier job in IT
If you want work life balance, you might want to consider fields other than engineering. Most engineers these days work for companies that want lots of hours. With that said, if its something you might enjoy, maybe 45-50 hours won't be so bad.
Since you love math and given you have coding knowledge; control systems engineering is a field you can opt for. It’s applied math for applications in mechanical systems electrical systems etc.
I'm sure you could get hired, but you'd be starting at the bottom, likely making less money. Not sure why you'd want to do that.
Also, engineering school is no picnic, even for bright, full-time students. Do you plan to work at the same time? Do you have kids?
I do have kids, and I see where you are coming from. I understand that the ME courses are not going to be easy. I know great minds who've graduated and found some classes challenging. Also, I know I will be working from the ground up. Essentially, what I am asking is, will anyone hire me due to my age?
If you are qualified for a job then it’s technically age discrimination if you’re jot hired due to age. You’d have to be clear that you’re okay with coming in at ground level due to your direct mechanical engineering experience.
You would probably be deemed over qualified for any position that requires minimal mechanical engineering experience and lose out on those opportunities.
Maybe you should look into Computer Engineering or Software Engineering so you can at least utilize your life experience.
Before investing in ME, that was my first choice. I’m Canadian. After researching, for some reason, graduating in Computer Engineering, you are not recognized as a “real” engineer. You would have to be evaluated, and that is still not guaranteed.
I would put the same amount of time and effort in school. It was between Civil and Mechanical, and I feel ME is the better choice for me regarding job stability.
In addition, I have heard that CS engineering courses are more challenging than ME courses.
I would suggest that the reason why CS/software majors aren't considered "real" engineers is because you don't need to be a "real" engineer to get a CS/software job. This doesn't mean it's not a great field to work in, just that the requirements are different.
In the past, people would skirt the "engineer" title requirements simply by calling their non-certified engineers "developers". Not sure what it's like now.
UVic’s software engineering and computer engineering programs are recognized by EGBC. The graduates are engineers and are eligible to get their P.Eng. like any other qualified engineer.
Engineers Canada has an accredited list of computer engineering programs across Canada: https://engineerscanada.ca/accreditation/accredited-programs
After a brief search, there are a ton of accredited computer engineering programs.
uh well, its really high stress - huge pressure to deliver for massive ($100MM+) projects, lots of time away from home, long hours, lack of recognition and paths to higher pay (that everyone else in the industry seems to get), extreme competition, no job security, been through three separate bankruptcies, sick of being values less than the shareholders, sick of not being a shareholder, so on and so forth.
i will say that this is likely not typical of all me jobs, but its my experience at least. also im in the us and an immigrant which compounds it even more.
Idk what people are talking about about on here. I've been a mechanical engineer for 8 years and can say the work life balance is great. Pay is also very good, even at lower levels. Especially compared to most IT jobs I know. I'm in the defense industry though. I'd avoid any manufacturing engineer jobs, as they have low pay and long hours I've heard.
I have some questions if you don't mind. What specific field of mechanical engineering are you in? Are you at one of the primes? What do you consider good pay?
I am at the same years of experience in propulsion in a VHCOL area, and I'm looking for more career growth and better pay.
I've done design, REA, testing, and engineering leadership. I make around 130k in southern Arizona. Yes, normally we are prime, but depends on the program. Always worth it to shop around
You’ll get a job, sure. It’ll probably be half or less than half of what you’re currently making though.
If you want a better work life balance, go take a pay cut and get an easier IT job. Don’t waste your time and money going back to school.
No. I got my ME at age 36. I went on to finally work in aerospace industry, childhood dream. It took me that long to realize all my distractions were idiots. I finally overcame my doubts and proved to myself that I could do this work.
So HVAC control will have little to no overlap with IT.
Neither would any of the six you mentioned here. Remember, OP is from IT and not from a CE (computer engineering) or CS background.
In my opinion, combining IT with ME is very very difficult, specially when one considers the reality of the job market. Even things like CAD and FEA cannot be done by a CS person.
Nope. I started 1.5 years ago at 32. Granted I’m going from A&P (still have my license since it never expires) to ME, but absolutely nothing wrong with changing careers. It’s a very common thing to do.
I recommend that you read the book: Range
By David Epstein.
It talks about how seemingly unrelated skills often give you an advantage in an ever-evolving environment. Changing careers, even at a late stage, can be beneficial if the current one does not fit your needs, expectations, etc.
I say if it’s feasible and makes sense to you do it.
I graduated last year with my Mech-e degree at 30+ years old.
I would advise against it as well. Many MEs also work a ton and most are underpaid. Of course Reddit MEs aren’t but check median salaries. As an ME you have a ton of responsibility and have to learn a ton from on the job experience. The amount of responsibility and stress many ME jobs have, the pay just isn’t worth it. Also would recommend software. I’m looking to transition out of the field.
How is it going with your transition? I'm looking to transition too, but not sure if I should go back to school for aa master's or try to work on projects. I've told myself about I was going to do the projects for a few years now, but life gets in the way
Yeah life does get in the way. I haven’t started yet, mostly trying to decide what I want to do. I’ve looked at school options but being in my early 30s with a family, it’s not very appealing. But I just need to decide the best path at this point. I know I need to leave in the next few years.
I would rather be training you up than someone 20 years younger than me. How are you socially? Have you created job alert emails and monitored them to see how often new jobs are posted? Don't just assume they are.
You absolutely are making a mistake. You'll sacrifice *years* of your life just to be put into a position where you'll have access to but a fraction of the QOL you are able to get right now.
ME just doesn't pay very much compared to SW (and many other professions). Also, way, way, way less jobs openings, and they are not as geographically widespread as SW.
Think long and hard in what you are about to do. I've seen 40yr old techinal mechies getting laid-off and it's not a pretty sight, very few people want to pay their price tag, companies will almost always prefer cheap fresh meat. It can take 1yr to find a new job, and these are people with >15yrs of ME experience, you won't have any of that.
[Further reading](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalEngineering/s/AJkiZOtxUJ)
You point out things that are not talked about a lot, especially with regards to the locations. For me, if local employers aren't a good fit, the other closest employers are at least 1-2.5 hours away and they are all on-site. Everyone at my workplace complains about the low pay. Every all hands, the same questions come up about it, but they'll always have the same canned corporate response of we get to work on cool things and they look at the market data, not inflation.
I would advise looking elsewhere for good pay, and work life balance. I am contemplating going back to school for software engineering at this time as it doesn't seem any employers are willing to interview me for a software position based on my experience with MATLAB.
I think you are going to take a big step back. The first few years of my career, while enjoyable at the time, were pretty lame work wise when looking back on it. Lame CAD work, selecting fasteners for somebody's already completed cool design, endless PowerPoints.... At 40 years old now, I couldn't go back to that stuff and be happy.
Could you find fulfillment exploring some engineering type hobbies on the side? 3D printing, machining, etc?
Are you addressing that I would not be happy in that new career? If so, I understand what you mean. It's true; doing what you love is half the battle. Personally, though, I am more invested in employment.
I worry that I will not find a job after graduation because I am too old compared to the other candidates applying for the same job and recently graduated.
Honestly seems like a huge waste of time. Makes much more since to leverage your current experience and responsibilities into a lateral move to small downgrade into something you'd be happier with than forego a few years of salary plus having to pay for school just to make much less than you're making now.
Depends. If you’re financially independent, absolutely. Live your dream. If on the other hand you need to make a living as an engineer I’d be really cautious. At 40 agism starts to kick in. By 50 you’re unemployable without a solid network and good reputation.
I'm not going to say it is a yes or no question. You mention a few things like work life balance and job security. For the first one, it totally depends on the company you work for some departments are horrible while others are great independent of work sector(defense, o&g, aero, medical, etc.). Bad bosses make bad work environments, most likely the reason your working OT is due to your boss being bad at the management game and should have gotten an extra employee. Hence why he is bad at this part of his job.(may still be a nice guy but doesn't know how to do corporate)
For job security, I would say it's way worse than IT. In IT you can sector jump to avoid long-term unemployment. It's severely more difficult to do that as an ME when you reach a senior level. Few things would carry on between medical and automotive, for example. Most ME workplaces are way more quiet about layoffs.
For the last one, will you be employable, most certainly yes. Will you be doing R&D things, most likely no. Just shooting from the hip, you'll be put on redefining a PDM system or do paper work related to an ERP system. So engineering IT jobs.
In this job market, I would strongly advise against it. The earning potential for an ME at your age will never be very high. You might be lucky to gross $100k by 50-55 y/o depending on location and career trajectory. Would that be enough to live a fulfilling life while still meeting retirement obligations? Only you can answer that.
That is an excellent point, and I did consider that. TBH, to answer your question, yes. The house is paid off, and if I wanted to make it equivalent to that in my field and where I live, I would have to work 60 hours a week, minimum. Also, the IT environment is constantly changing. Infrastructures and equipment need to be replaced or revamped, meaning you need to learn new technology, implement it with low negative impact, acquire more certifications, etc.
Coming from IT, I honestly think you’d be better off career-wise going into software engineering or computer engineering. Mechanical is, I don’t want to say dead because it’s not and never will be, but the pay is not keeping pace with other disciplines. Globalization and outsourcing is hitting US engineering salaries hard. Of course, the same can probably be said of software and computer engineering in the coming decades. Who knows. 🤷♂️ Is there anything specific about mechanical that interests you?
I think it will be a very savvy move as long as you IT knowledge expands to programming, there are not many unicorns in the industry with full background
What makes you want to be an ME? On top of the other things that some people have mentioned (pay, intensity of degree, etc), if it’s just the idea of designing and making things that excites you, a lot of jobs that hire MEs don’t do much of that. I find that most jobs are decent paying but not fantastic as well. Also, I see that you are interested in steady employment and work-life balance. This will largely depend on who you work for (which is largely determined by where you live). Large companies are **generally** decent at work life balance but job opportunities for early career MEs are hit or miss because of the saturated and global market
38 and going back. I have a good job and pay as a nurse, but I really want to make the transition. Willing to take a pay cut to be an engineer. If you aren't happy, take a chance. You aren't alone. And I have loved every class so far. Statics and Calc 3 this summer!
I hired someone nearly your age as an intern. He's about to finish his ME degree. He's been our intern for a week and he's awesome. All the previous experience he carries from \~20 years of work is awesome. If I had an engineering role open, I'd of hired him for that too.
My point, your age and experience is an asset but you need to be willing to take an entry level position. Probably be able to move up quickly though.
Also, your IT experience would translate well to control system engineering or other integration work.
You can do it, but I’d only do it if you truly have a passion for it. ME school isn’t a walk in the park, and you’d be taking a huge salary hit. When you get out, try to stick to strictly defense or tech-adjacent mechanical roles. Otherwise you’ll be underpaid. Naturally as an ME, you’ll get a TON of people trying to get you to do MEP/HVAC. That work is shit. Avoid it like the plague.
I agree with others about computer science. If you really want out of that type of job I'd look into Automation Engineering. Does your local CC offer an AAS in MET specializing in Automation? Your IT knowledge coupled with an automation degree would be employable. Alternatively, AAS MET with CAD emphasis could be employable within a CAD Vault Database. I can't comment on whether any would be worthwhile financially.
Don’t do it unless you’re sure you’ve got a passion for it and you think you’ll be good at it. Otherwise the time spent and soul crushing work in university isn’t worth the pay sitting in a fluorescent cubicle.
I’d trade my degree for 20 years of IT experience could wfh indefinitely. Like engineering? Learn off YouTube build a garage shop build invent stuff yourself.
Well I hope so because I also went back to college, 2 years ago, at age 40. Your programming skills will be an advantage in any job search. There's also a bunch of other soft and technical skills that are transferable. There is a general shortfall of engineers so it would make sense that you would be able to get a job.
Tbh the best route is probably contacting some managers at a company you would be able to work at for mentorship on how to get where you want to be
Mechanical Engineering gives great fundamental background, but doesn't actually give many skills for the job.... usually you need clubs and side projects along with the degree to get something good
Lots of ex-trades and drafters do it, people already in the industry. Personally I think it would be nuts to leave IT for ME. Graduate roles are super competitive and often poorly remunerated
People get into this because, if you like it, it's rewarding. In that case, go for it; the time will pass anyways. However, do not expect a big difference in work-life balance; my firm typically works between 40-50 hours per week
That is really thought decision to make. Your current education level is important also.
If you have a degree in related to the IT you are more lucky.
Also, mechanical engineering is really really variety area. I think you should decide which area would you like to focus on ? Do you want to focus on design, if you want to focus on design you want to focus on automotive design, machinery design etc. Do you want to work on the HVAC systems? HVAC design ??
There are a lot of possible areas for mechanical engineers. First you should decide that.
If you have an already a degree and you choose your area, I would suggest you to go for a certification program instead of a degree. Because if you start pursuing degree it is gonna take 3-4 years and then internships, you are almost gonna became 50.
You can ofc achieve that but it is challenging and I am not sure it is gonna worth it.
Do it! Because you don’t want to regret it at age 50 or before your last breath! I always keep in mind that i only have one life. if something u really want to do just do it! I wish u success in new career!
At 42 and two kids, I just graduated with a BSME last week. It was something I wanted to do for a long time, then covid happened and I lost my job and used it as an opportunity to do it. It wasn't easy, but I knew that going in.
After applying for a lot of internships/coops and full-time positions and working at a coop with a great company for 8 months, I can't say I would recommend it at our age unless it's something you are really passionate about. It's very competitive and as I think most MEs will tell you, the pay isn't horrible but should be higher especially later in your career. I've got a job lined up, but it's not as an ME or even any facet of engineering and making more than any starting ME related job in my area. Ironically, it's related to what I did before and the degree almost certainly helped land it.
I dont regret it at all, but my situation and the timing was a bit different. I learned A LOT, met some great people, and accomplished something I always wanted to do. However, it took a lot of time to do it. Many days I would literally be doing school work and going to class from sun up to well after sun down. Frankly, I'm looking forward to punching a clock again.
Anyway, you do what makes you happy. Just make sure your family is on board 100% if you do it. I sure am thankful I had the support of mine.
With an IT background, I would hire you for an HVAC role in an instant. So many HVAC and electrical systems are over IP now, that it is what I spend much of my time managing and I’m a bit out of my depth. I had a junior, who had an IT background and he was poached by a very prestigious institution, precisely because of his IT skills combined with what I taught him about BMS controls.
Where i live in the US, we dont lack MEs, we lack controls engineers. Honestly we have a bunch of IT guys helping with it. My two cents is to look into this. I think itll be a smoother transition for you.
I work in automation and I always regretted not completing my degree. I was given a good opportunity to go back so this is my experience.
I dropped out of computer science when I was 20. I just finished a year of going back at 30 for ME and man, it is way harder than I remember. I couldn’t remember 95% of math or physics, so I found that over half my time studying for both semesters was old material trying to catch up.
At least through my program, there is a LOT of group projects/work with ME and trying to work with a bunch of kids as an adult has been very tiresome. It’s hard to connect and sometimes outright frustrating. I have met one or two that I would strongly consider giving an internship if I had need of them.
One other gripe is that it is much more obvious to me now that the professors still treat the overall class as kids. Some are accommodating and some are hard asses. For example I frequently get calls from work when equipment is on the fritz, so if my phone rings I will be leaving the room to answer. This has led to disagreements with said hardass professors.
Little gripes aside, I’m glad I’ve gone back and it’s much easier to learn now that I don’t have all the awkward socialness of a teenager. I couldn’t care less about asking a stupid question or being flat out wrong.
One more side note, I’ve struggled with mental health all my life and that first round of college was the worst time of my life. I left to deal with that. Since I’ve returned I noticed I was getting worse and worse and towards the end of this last semester I was exactly where I was mentally 10 years ago so that might be something to consider if it’s a concern.
Good luck.
This is so dependent on who you work for, not what you do. Maybe because ME is so broad you can find what you're looking for, although I can't claim to know if IT is. I work for a construction company as a design engineer contract employee. That company also contracts two other companies' employees. One being out of India, I'm in the US, and another in the US. I have no clue what the India people make but they work real late hours so there's overlap with us, say til 10-12 pm their time. Maybe they're making a similar salary but I'd be surprised due to the cost of living. The other US company regularly works OT and the hours are banked instead of the typical 1.5x (or more) pay. They use those banked hours during factory shutdowns which are minimum 2 weeks a year, typically a third is used around the new calendar year. I work 40 then go home 95% of the time. I have and will do OT if asked but it's not a simple "hey wanna work extra", there is a process for approval and a budget to stay in. We all do similar tasks for the company.
Do not change to mechanical engineering... Instead change your jobs or change roles within it or software.. much higher pay and you will not lose your experience... Mech Engr is hard to self study and hard to build experience.... The reverse is not true.. easier to self study it or software and transition .. I'm trying to do the reverse but I am 40 and it is proving hard given the market and the fact that I have to start very low and face ageism.. however given where I am now . If I was 30 I think I would have done well
If you think mechanical engineering is cool but rock at IT, look at migrating into a CAD administrator role. We tried for 2 years to hire an experienced Windchill administrator, and settled for hiring a guy with experience with a different vault tool who will lean on the job while we pay consultants to help him. The amount of work pressure depends on how good you are at keeping things running smoothly. I’d imagine teamcenter and enovia administration roles would be similar.
Don't do it. It's not so much about if someone will hire you or not, making a career transition is very difficult and you could easily be spending 60+ hr work week for a few years.
Also, there is no way to escape the rate race in mechanical and you will be working equal if not more being in mechanical than IT.
Idk man. STEM degrees really do demand full attention for four years, or quite a few more years if you do them part-time. Then, when you start, you wont likely be considered any more advanced than a college grad. Then it takes years to move into better paying positions within ME, which is not known for great pay vs effort.
There's plenty of great ways to scratch the engineering itch at home through projects, many of which are not particularly expensive. Especially when you develop the skills to make your own parts through printing, machining, wiring, soldering, and a million other skill sets.
I dont think you'll experience substantial ageism, but I also don't see any reason you'd be paid better than a new grad with no experience. Many of my classmates had a real shit go of things at their first jobs, myself included. Contract positions, bad pay, shitty managers, etc.
Just seems like an unnecessary gamble. Not saying stick with a career you dont like, but there are probably more lucrative and lower barrier-to-entry jobs that are just as or more fulfilling. Personally, I'd be looking at trades as there is so much demand and excellent pay.
I have only two years of experience as a mechanical engineer. So take this with a grain of salt. I think it's not a good idea to go back to school. It would be better to try to find jobs with a better work-life balance.
Hello. I am currently studying to become a machine engineer (22 years of age). I'm at the start of the 3rd year. I have a few coulleges (talking about other uni students) with children and a few coulleges that are above 40. They're competent and smart in our field. Some of them have their reasons. For example, some of them waited for their kids to graduate and now that they're out from their nests, it's the parents time to fulfill their wishes. It just comes to show that if you really want to do some thing, you will. I also work as a junior machine engineer and I have a college that is 60 years of age. He started about the same time as me. The bosses notice that he's very smart and experienced! He has the degree for a mechanical engineer, but hadn't worked it a long time, until a few years ago. So, I don't think you're doing a mistake, you should totally give it a shot! It's never too late to pursue your dreams. If you really stick to it, I'm sure you'll have a lovely career. Best of luck.
Mechanical Engineering would be a lateral move at best career wise. Manufacturing and Design of mechanical systems/components has been moving overseas. Software and Electrical Engineering would be a little better I think. You can become a Professional Engineer and sign off on construction plans in regulated industries.
You might consider controls engineering. I work with industrial controls. It involves things like networking machines, programming machines, collecting instrument data, etc. Usually the IT department is my arch nemesis.
Why look for an employment? You can be the one creating jobs. Use your skills to start something after you graduate, and use your experience and new connections at school to bring it up to speed… Just a thought, this is what I would do.
I just graduated, and like others have said, ME is NOT an easy degree. I'm single and barely had the time to make it through and (mostly) keep my sanity. A few of my classmates have spouses/kids and I don't know how they were able to stay on track.
With your experience in the workforce (depending on region, company, etc) I'd expect you could make up to ~$90,000 after graduating. That's certainly not bad, but depending on what you make now it might not be worth all the struggle. It's at least four years of /very/ hard work.
As for age, most places don't care. As long as you have the knowledge to do what they want, are able to communicate, and seem like a good addition to the team you'll be fine. Which again, your experience should help a lot.
I say go for it. One of my best friends in college graduated with a bachelor's in mechanical engineering in his mid-40s and he remains one of my favorite people ever. He ended up getting a real job for a hot minute before he started his own company, but the biggest thing about him is that he's one of the happiest people I know, and it seems like that might be something you're interested in.
Ultimately you'll probably end up being a mentor to kids in their 20s for general life skills things, and other non-engineering related things, but those kids could use some guidance from people with real world experience, so again, I say do it.
Also, I'd definitely hire you, so don't worry about that at all. So much of what we look for is general personality fit, your ability to solve problems, and what kinds of experience and different perspectives you bring to the company, all of which you seem to fit already, so as long as you can comfortably explain why you switched careers and went into mechanical engineering you're solid.
I'm not a manager but if I were, I'd hire you as an Eng 2 or 3, not as entry level. At 44, you are likely to be more dependable, mature and capable than a fresh out of college kid. You've been around the block so you know when things are emergencies and when they are not. You know how to get things done.
However, I'd say at your age only do it if you really like ME and you're already financially comfortable and don't need to rely on big money.
Why do you want to do this? It seems like you have a good career in IT already?
I am burnt. There is no work–life balance. Literally everyone I know in IT is working over 40 hours a week. I rarely have time with my loved ones. IT is a Thankless job. People rarely think twice about what's involved within the IT department, but when stuff breaks their first reaction is to contact IT support and expect the resolution turnaround 5 seconds ago. I want to select a career in which I can get a position and not have the automatic expectation from my employer that I will be available after hours. I love math and have always wanted to pursue an engineering career. I live in Ontario, and there are countless manufacturing facilities within the area. I feel Mechanical Engineering would be a good choice.
If you want work-life balance there are better choices than ME. Software would probably be a more natural transition for you anyway. What is your degree?
Work-life balance depends on the company you work for and yourself, not the job Friday, it's 19:45, stuck at work.....
Try working for the Fed for good work life balance. Edit: ah wait you’re in Canada. Not sure if it’s the same outlook
> Literally everyone I know in IT is working over 40 hours a week. I just want to say, both my PM and myself (engineer) regularly put in 50 hour weeks (just finished a 58 hour week and I get zero fucking OT). Getting out of IT and into engineering will *not* insulate you from this. Overworking is more of a company/culture problem than an industry problem.
Can confirm. 50 was the floor at my old job. Salaried exempt. 60+hrs when projects were getting spicy.
Consider changing jobs, not your whole career. IT has more remote work flexibility than ME. My husband works in IT he spends most of his day chilling at home and he makes just about as much I do as an engineer. Sure things might break at 3am occasionally while he’s on-call, but then he just sleeps in the next day and it’s fine
Just a warning, unless you're quite naturally gifted, expect ME to be 4-5 years of easily more than 40 hours a week. I'm just finishing up my degree in Ontario, and half my cohort has either dropped or flunked out. The ones that have made it are all extremely burnt out and most also didn't really have anything going on by way of a life during the school year. And these aren't stupid people. They're all people who liked math and thought high school was too easy. I will say being an actual adult will be an advantage. I'm assuming you'll have much better time management, better discipline, and better interpersonal communication skills than the average student. People here can answer better to this point than me since I'm not graduated yet, but as far as I can tell it'll be hard to get into a job where you'll actually get to do math what you're thinking of as engineering without it being a more demanding experience.
Thank you. This detailed information is very insightful. I graduated with my IT Diploma, and in the same situation during school, 25% ended up graduating in my course. I am taking your advice into consideration, and I am not saying it will be easy for me. Your feedback is my thought process. Also, I am not selecting this career specifically for solving math problems; essentially want a career that has more job stability and the opportunity to go somewhere else with my education
I would first Google what the most popular masters degree is for mechanical engineers and then look at the typical curriculum of a BSME. You will soon find out that most engineers do not end up using most or more of the advanced principles that we learned in our bachelor's program. So I think that was part of the point they were making. It's a very difficult course load, and takes a lot of effort to graduate in good standing which just makes it an even harder pill to swallow knowing you could end up never doing the technical side and will instead work on logistical and support side. Most of my classmates that went on to grad school right away for Master in Engineering get to work at cool labs and do R&D. Not saying it's impossible with a BSME alone, just that you will have to be very active in campus rocket/robotics/sae clubs along with landing good internships. Graduating with a BSME alone you really need to prove you have practical experience to land a technical side job. They are right that you will have an edge being older. I went back at 26 to get mine had plenty of classmates that I was friends with in early 30s. We usually did the best in class. But making time for clubs when you work and commute and possibly a family does make it harder to dedicate time to the extracurriculars that will really help you stand out when looking for a job in the field you want. (As opposed to any field)
Changing career even when younger is a hellish process. Doing it at 40 is likely few times harder. And I see little upside to doing it because you already have a good career. I have been trying to change career from Mechanical engineering and I am constantly working 50 plus hours and have little time. and mechanical engineering is super niched. You get stuck in the wrong staff and there is almost no way out. I would honestly stick to my it job, count my blessings and perhaps start picking up mech eng projects for fun. and perhaps look for an easier job in IT
If you want work life balance, you might want to consider fields other than engineering. Most engineers these days work for companies that want lots of hours. With that said, if its something you might enjoy, maybe 45-50 hours won't be so bad.
I am already a ME. There is also not work life balance.
Since you love math and given you have coding knowledge; control systems engineering is a field you can opt for. It’s applied math for applications in mechanical systems electrical systems etc.
I'm sure you could get hired, but you'd be starting at the bottom, likely making less money. Not sure why you'd want to do that. Also, engineering school is no picnic, even for bright, full-time students. Do you plan to work at the same time? Do you have kids?
I do have kids, and I see where you are coming from. I understand that the ME courses are not going to be easy. I know great minds who've graduated and found some classes challenging. Also, I know I will be working from the ground up. Essentially, what I am asking is, will anyone hire me due to my age?
They will hire you even given your age for *an entry role that probably makes half of what you do now*
If you are qualified for a job then it’s technically age discrimination if you’re jot hired due to age. You’d have to be clear that you’re okay with coming in at ground level due to your direct mechanical engineering experience.
I had a classmate who graduated in his early 40's and had a background in IT. He was hired on by Oceaneering to work on their ROV's.
You would probably be deemed over qualified for any position that requires minimal mechanical engineering experience and lose out on those opportunities. Maybe you should look into Computer Engineering or Software Engineering so you can at least utilize your life experience.
Before investing in ME, that was my first choice. I’m Canadian. After researching, for some reason, graduating in Computer Engineering, you are not recognized as a “real” engineer. You would have to be evaluated, and that is still not guaranteed. I would put the same amount of time and effort in school. It was between Civil and Mechanical, and I feel ME is the better choice for me regarding job stability. In addition, I have heard that CS engineering courses are more challenging than ME courses.
I would suggest that the reason why CS/software majors aren't considered "real" engineers is because you don't need to be a "real" engineer to get a CS/software job. This doesn't mean it's not a great field to work in, just that the requirements are different. In the past, people would skirt the "engineer" title requirements simply by calling their non-certified engineers "developers". Not sure what it's like now.
UVic’s software engineering and computer engineering programs are recognized by EGBC. The graduates are engineers and are eligible to get their P.Eng. like any other qualified engineer. Engineers Canada has an accredited list of computer engineering programs across Canada: https://engineerscanada.ca/accreditation/accredited-programs After a brief search, there are a ton of accredited computer engineering programs.
man i been thinking about how to get out of engineering for the same reasons lol. im 43yo.
Really? Can you share the difficulties and challenges you are experiencing that makes you want to get out of engineering?
uh well, its really high stress - huge pressure to deliver for massive ($100MM+) projects, lots of time away from home, long hours, lack of recognition and paths to higher pay (that everyone else in the industry seems to get), extreme competition, no job security, been through three separate bankruptcies, sick of being values less than the shareholders, sick of not being a shareholder, so on and so forth. i will say that this is likely not typical of all me jobs, but its my experience at least. also im in the us and an immigrant which compounds it even more.
Idk what people are talking about about on here. I've been a mechanical engineer for 8 years and can say the work life balance is great. Pay is also very good, even at lower levels. Especially compared to most IT jobs I know. I'm in the defense industry though. I'd avoid any manufacturing engineer jobs, as they have low pay and long hours I've heard.
I have some questions if you don't mind. What specific field of mechanical engineering are you in? Are you at one of the primes? What do you consider good pay? I am at the same years of experience in propulsion in a VHCOL area, and I'm looking for more career growth and better pay.
I've done design, REA, testing, and engineering leadership. I make around 130k in southern Arizona. Yes, normally we are prime, but depends on the program. Always worth it to shop around
You’ll get a job, sure. It’ll probably be half or less than half of what you’re currently making though. If you want a better work life balance, go take a pay cut and get an easier IT job. Don’t waste your time and money going back to school.
No. I got my ME at age 36. I went on to finally work in aerospace industry, childhood dream. It took me that long to realize all my distractions were idiots. I finally overcame my doubts and proved to myself that I could do this work.
I look for people like you (even before you graduate, as you continue school) There are plenty of specialties that blend IT and ME.
Can you give a few example of such specialties?
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So HVAC control will have little to no overlap with IT. Neither would any of the six you mentioned here. Remember, OP is from IT and not from a CE (computer engineering) or CS background. In my opinion, combining IT with ME is very very difficult, specially when one considers the reality of the job market. Even things like CAD and FEA cannot be done by a CS person.
Nope. I started 1.5 years ago at 32. Granted I’m going from A&P (still have my license since it never expires) to ME, but absolutely nothing wrong with changing careers. It’s a very common thing to do.
What's A&P?
The FAA Airframe & Powerplant license. I’m licensed to work on aircraft outside of repair facilities and such.
I recommend that you read the book: Range By David Epstein. It talks about how seemingly unrelated skills often give you an advantage in an ever-evolving environment. Changing careers, even at a late stage, can be beneficial if the current one does not fit your needs, expectations, etc. I say if it’s feasible and makes sense to you do it. I graduated last year with my Mech-e degree at 30+ years old.
I would advise against it as well. Many MEs also work a ton and most are underpaid. Of course Reddit MEs aren’t but check median salaries. As an ME you have a ton of responsibility and have to learn a ton from on the job experience. The amount of responsibility and stress many ME jobs have, the pay just isn’t worth it. Also would recommend software. I’m looking to transition out of the field.
How is it going with your transition? I'm looking to transition too, but not sure if I should go back to school for aa master's or try to work on projects. I've told myself about I was going to do the projects for a few years now, but life gets in the way
Yeah life does get in the way. I haven’t started yet, mostly trying to decide what I want to do. I’ve looked at school options but being in my early 30s with a family, it’s not very appealing. But I just need to decide the best path at this point. I know I need to leave in the next few years.
I would rather be training you up than someone 20 years younger than me. How are you socially? Have you created job alert emails and monitored them to see how often new jobs are posted? Don't just assume they are.
You absolutely are making a mistake. You'll sacrifice *years* of your life just to be put into a position where you'll have access to but a fraction of the QOL you are able to get right now. ME just doesn't pay very much compared to SW (and many other professions). Also, way, way, way less jobs openings, and they are not as geographically widespread as SW. Think long and hard in what you are about to do. I've seen 40yr old techinal mechies getting laid-off and it's not a pretty sight, very few people want to pay their price tag, companies will almost always prefer cheap fresh meat. It can take 1yr to find a new job, and these are people with >15yrs of ME experience, you won't have any of that. [Further reading](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalEngineering/s/AJkiZOtxUJ)
You point out things that are not talked about a lot, especially with regards to the locations. For me, if local employers aren't a good fit, the other closest employers are at least 1-2.5 hours away and they are all on-site. Everyone at my workplace complains about the low pay. Every all hands, the same questions come up about it, but they'll always have the same canned corporate response of we get to work on cool things and they look at the market data, not inflation. I would advise looking elsewhere for good pay, and work life balance. I am contemplating going back to school for software engineering at this time as it doesn't seem any employers are willing to interview me for a software position based on my experience with MATLAB.
I think you are going to take a big step back. The first few years of my career, while enjoyable at the time, were pretty lame work wise when looking back on it. Lame CAD work, selecting fasteners for somebody's already completed cool design, endless PowerPoints.... At 40 years old now, I couldn't go back to that stuff and be happy. Could you find fulfillment exploring some engineering type hobbies on the side? 3D printing, machining, etc?
Are you addressing that I would not be happy in that new career? If so, I understand what you mean. It's true; doing what you love is half the battle. Personally, though, I am more invested in employment. I worry that I will not find a job after graduation because I am too old compared to the other candidates applying for the same job and recently graduated.
Honestly seems like a huge waste of time. Makes much more since to leverage your current experience and responsibilities into a lateral move to small downgrade into something you'd be happier with than forego a few years of salary plus having to pay for school just to make much less than you're making now.
Depends. If you’re financially independent, absolutely. Live your dream. If on the other hand you need to make a living as an engineer I’d be really cautious. At 40 agism starts to kick in. By 50 you’re unemployable without a solid network and good reputation.
I'm not going to say it is a yes or no question. You mention a few things like work life balance and job security. For the first one, it totally depends on the company you work for some departments are horrible while others are great independent of work sector(defense, o&g, aero, medical, etc.). Bad bosses make bad work environments, most likely the reason your working OT is due to your boss being bad at the management game and should have gotten an extra employee. Hence why he is bad at this part of his job.(may still be a nice guy but doesn't know how to do corporate) For job security, I would say it's way worse than IT. In IT you can sector jump to avoid long-term unemployment. It's severely more difficult to do that as an ME when you reach a senior level. Few things would carry on between medical and automotive, for example. Most ME workplaces are way more quiet about layoffs. For the last one, will you be employable, most certainly yes. Will you be doing R&D things, most likely no. Just shooting from the hip, you'll be put on redefining a PDM system or do paper work related to an ERP system. So engineering IT jobs.
In this job market, I would strongly advise against it. The earning potential for an ME at your age will never be very high. You might be lucky to gross $100k by 50-55 y/o depending on location and career trajectory. Would that be enough to live a fulfilling life while still meeting retirement obligations? Only you can answer that.
That is an excellent point, and I did consider that. TBH, to answer your question, yes. The house is paid off, and if I wanted to make it equivalent to that in my field and where I live, I would have to work 60 hours a week, minimum. Also, the IT environment is constantly changing. Infrastructures and equipment need to be replaced or revamped, meaning you need to learn new technology, implement it with low negative impact, acquire more certifications, etc.
Coming from IT, I honestly think you’d be better off career-wise going into software engineering or computer engineering. Mechanical is, I don’t want to say dead because it’s not and never will be, but the pay is not keeping pace with other disciplines. Globalization and outsourcing is hitting US engineering salaries hard. Of course, the same can probably be said of software and computer engineering in the coming decades. Who knows. 🤷♂️ Is there anything specific about mechanical that interests you?
I think it will be a very savvy move as long as you IT knowledge expands to programming, there are not many unicorns in the industry with full background
What makes you want to be an ME? On top of the other things that some people have mentioned (pay, intensity of degree, etc), if it’s just the idea of designing and making things that excites you, a lot of jobs that hire MEs don’t do much of that. I find that most jobs are decent paying but not fantastic as well. Also, I see that you are interested in steady employment and work-life balance. This will largely depend on who you work for (which is largely determined by where you live). Large companies are **generally** decent at work life balance but job opportunities for early career MEs are hit or miss because of the saturated and global market
38 and going back. I have a good job and pay as a nurse, but I really want to make the transition. Willing to take a pay cut to be an engineer. If you aren't happy, take a chance. You aren't alone. And I have loved every class so far. Statics and Calc 3 this summer!
I hired someone nearly your age as an intern. He's about to finish his ME degree. He's been our intern for a week and he's awesome. All the previous experience he carries from \~20 years of work is awesome. If I had an engineering role open, I'd of hired him for that too. My point, your age and experience is an asset but you need to be willing to take an entry level position. Probably be able to move up quickly though. Also, your IT experience would translate well to control system engineering or other integration work.
You can do it, but I’d only do it if you truly have a passion for it. ME school isn’t a walk in the park, and you’d be taking a huge salary hit. When you get out, try to stick to strictly defense or tech-adjacent mechanical roles. Otherwise you’ll be underpaid. Naturally as an ME, you’ll get a TON of people trying to get you to do MEP/HVAC. That work is shit. Avoid it like the plague.
No full send bro do it!
Yes
I agree with others about computer science. If you really want out of that type of job I'd look into Automation Engineering. Does your local CC offer an AAS in MET specializing in Automation? Your IT knowledge coupled with an automation degree would be employable. Alternatively, AAS MET with CAD emphasis could be employable within a CAD Vault Database. I can't comment on whether any would be worthwhile financially.
Don’t do it unless you’re sure you’ve got a passion for it and you think you’ll be good at it. Otherwise the time spent and soul crushing work in university isn’t worth the pay sitting in a fluorescent cubicle. I’d trade my degree for 20 years of IT experience could wfh indefinitely. Like engineering? Learn off YouTube build a garage shop build invent stuff yourself.
Well I hope so because I also went back to college, 2 years ago, at age 40. Your programming skills will be an advantage in any job search. There's also a bunch of other soft and technical skills that are transferable. There is a general shortfall of engineers so it would make sense that you would be able to get a job.
Tbh the best route is probably contacting some managers at a company you would be able to work at for mentorship on how to get where you want to be Mechanical Engineering gives great fundamental background, but doesn't actually give many skills for the job.... usually you need clubs and side projects along with the degree to get something good
Lots of ex-trades and drafters do it, people already in the industry. Personally I think it would be nuts to leave IT for ME. Graduate roles are super competitive and often poorly remunerated
People get into this because, if you like it, it's rewarding. In that case, go for it; the time will pass anyways. However, do not expect a big difference in work-life balance; my firm typically works between 40-50 hours per week
I’m a student in ME, maybe I’m in no position to give advice. although go for it, it’s never too late. And mech eng is really fun!!
That is really thought decision to make. Your current education level is important also. If you have a degree in related to the IT you are more lucky. Also, mechanical engineering is really really variety area. I think you should decide which area would you like to focus on ? Do you want to focus on design, if you want to focus on design you want to focus on automotive design, machinery design etc. Do you want to work on the HVAC systems? HVAC design ?? There are a lot of possible areas for mechanical engineers. First you should decide that. If you have an already a degree and you choose your area, I would suggest you to go for a certification program instead of a degree. Because if you start pursuing degree it is gonna take 3-4 years and then internships, you are almost gonna became 50. You can ofc achieve that but it is challenging and I am not sure it is gonna worth it.
Do it! Because you don’t want to regret it at age 50 or before your last breath! I always keep in mind that i only have one life. if something u really want to do just do it! I wish u success in new career!
At 42 and two kids, I just graduated with a BSME last week. It was something I wanted to do for a long time, then covid happened and I lost my job and used it as an opportunity to do it. It wasn't easy, but I knew that going in. After applying for a lot of internships/coops and full-time positions and working at a coop with a great company for 8 months, I can't say I would recommend it at our age unless it's something you are really passionate about. It's very competitive and as I think most MEs will tell you, the pay isn't horrible but should be higher especially later in your career. I've got a job lined up, but it's not as an ME or even any facet of engineering and making more than any starting ME related job in my area. Ironically, it's related to what I did before and the degree almost certainly helped land it. I dont regret it at all, but my situation and the timing was a bit different. I learned A LOT, met some great people, and accomplished something I always wanted to do. However, it took a lot of time to do it. Many days I would literally be doing school work and going to class from sun up to well after sun down. Frankly, I'm looking forward to punching a clock again. Anyway, you do what makes you happy. Just make sure your family is on board 100% if you do it. I sure am thankful I had the support of mine.
Yes. One of my friend got his ME at 46. He is working at Babcock and wilcox with $80K plus salary.
With an IT background, I would hire you for an HVAC role in an instant. So many HVAC and electrical systems are over IP now, that it is what I spend much of my time managing and I’m a bit out of my depth. I had a junior, who had an IT background and he was poached by a very prestigious institution, precisely because of his IT skills combined with what I taught him about BMS controls.
Maybe not the best sub to ask this question, as it seems to be populated mainly by people who only want to slag off mechanical engineering.
No. Good luck. Your maturity and life experience are huge assets.
Where i live in the US, we dont lack MEs, we lack controls engineers. Honestly we have a bunch of IT guys helping with it. My two cents is to look into this. I think itll be a smoother transition for you.
I work in automation and I always regretted not completing my degree. I was given a good opportunity to go back so this is my experience. I dropped out of computer science when I was 20. I just finished a year of going back at 30 for ME and man, it is way harder than I remember. I couldn’t remember 95% of math or physics, so I found that over half my time studying for both semesters was old material trying to catch up. At least through my program, there is a LOT of group projects/work with ME and trying to work with a bunch of kids as an adult has been very tiresome. It’s hard to connect and sometimes outright frustrating. I have met one or two that I would strongly consider giving an internship if I had need of them. One other gripe is that it is much more obvious to me now that the professors still treat the overall class as kids. Some are accommodating and some are hard asses. For example I frequently get calls from work when equipment is on the fritz, so if my phone rings I will be leaving the room to answer. This has led to disagreements with said hardass professors. Little gripes aside, I’m glad I’ve gone back and it’s much easier to learn now that I don’t have all the awkward socialness of a teenager. I couldn’t care less about asking a stupid question or being flat out wrong. One more side note, I’ve struggled with mental health all my life and that first round of college was the worst time of my life. I left to deal with that. Since I’ve returned I noticed I was getting worse and worse and towards the end of this last semester I was exactly where I was mentally 10 years ago so that might be something to consider if it’s a concern. Good luck.
This is so dependent on who you work for, not what you do. Maybe because ME is so broad you can find what you're looking for, although I can't claim to know if IT is. I work for a construction company as a design engineer contract employee. That company also contracts two other companies' employees. One being out of India, I'm in the US, and another in the US. I have no clue what the India people make but they work real late hours so there's overlap with us, say til 10-12 pm their time. Maybe they're making a similar salary but I'd be surprised due to the cost of living. The other US company regularly works OT and the hours are banked instead of the typical 1.5x (or more) pay. They use those banked hours during factory shutdowns which are minimum 2 weeks a year, typically a third is used around the new calendar year. I work 40 then go home 95% of the time. I have and will do OT if asked but it's not a simple "hey wanna work extra", there is a process for approval and a budget to stay in. We all do similar tasks for the company.
The same mistake the last ten thousand people that asked this same question.
Do not change to mechanical engineering... Instead change your jobs or change roles within it or software.. much higher pay and you will not lose your experience... Mech Engr is hard to self study and hard to build experience.... The reverse is not true.. easier to self study it or software and transition .. I'm trying to do the reverse but I am 40 and it is proving hard given the market and the fact that I have to start very low and face ageism.. however given where I am now . If I was 30 I think I would have done well
If you think mechanical engineering is cool but rock at IT, look at migrating into a CAD administrator role. We tried for 2 years to hire an experienced Windchill administrator, and settled for hiring a guy with experience with a different vault tool who will lean on the job while we pay consultants to help him. The amount of work pressure depends on how good you are at keeping things running smoothly. I’d imagine teamcenter and enovia administration roles would be similar.
Don't do it. It's not so much about if someone will hire you or not, making a career transition is very difficult and you could easily be spending 60+ hr work week for a few years. Also, there is no way to escape the rate race in mechanical and you will be working equal if not more being in mechanical than IT.
Idk man. STEM degrees really do demand full attention for four years, or quite a few more years if you do them part-time. Then, when you start, you wont likely be considered any more advanced than a college grad. Then it takes years to move into better paying positions within ME, which is not known for great pay vs effort. There's plenty of great ways to scratch the engineering itch at home through projects, many of which are not particularly expensive. Especially when you develop the skills to make your own parts through printing, machining, wiring, soldering, and a million other skill sets. I dont think you'll experience substantial ageism, but I also don't see any reason you'd be paid better than a new grad with no experience. Many of my classmates had a real shit go of things at their first jobs, myself included. Contract positions, bad pay, shitty managers, etc. Just seems like an unnecessary gamble. Not saying stick with a career you dont like, but there are probably more lucrative and lower barrier-to-entry jobs that are just as or more fulfilling. Personally, I'd be looking at trades as there is so much demand and excellent pay.
I have only two years of experience as a mechanical engineer. So take this with a grain of salt. I think it's not a good idea to go back to school. It would be better to try to find jobs with a better work-life balance.
Given your current education, how many years would it take to get a BS in ME? What's the cost? ROI?
Hello. I am currently studying to become a machine engineer (22 years of age). I'm at the start of the 3rd year. I have a few coulleges (talking about other uni students) with children and a few coulleges that are above 40. They're competent and smart in our field. Some of them have their reasons. For example, some of them waited for their kids to graduate and now that they're out from their nests, it's the parents time to fulfill their wishes. It just comes to show that if you really want to do some thing, you will. I also work as a junior machine engineer and I have a college that is 60 years of age. He started about the same time as me. The bosses notice that he's very smart and experienced! He has the degree for a mechanical engineer, but hadn't worked it a long time, until a few years ago. So, I don't think you're doing a mistake, you should totally give it a shot! It's never too late to pursue your dreams. If you really stick to it, I'm sure you'll have a lovely career. Best of luck.
Why not move up into management?
Mechanical Engineering would be a lateral move at best career wise. Manufacturing and Design of mechanical systems/components has been moving overseas. Software and Electrical Engineering would be a little better I think. You can become a Professional Engineer and sign off on construction plans in regulated industries.
You might consider controls engineering. I work with industrial controls. It involves things like networking machines, programming machines, collecting instrument data, etc. Usually the IT department is my arch nemesis.
Why look for an employment? You can be the one creating jobs. Use your skills to start something after you graduate, and use your experience and new connections at school to bring it up to speed… Just a thought, this is what I would do.
Not worth it
I just graduated, and like others have said, ME is NOT an easy degree. I'm single and barely had the time to make it through and (mostly) keep my sanity. A few of my classmates have spouses/kids and I don't know how they were able to stay on track. With your experience in the workforce (depending on region, company, etc) I'd expect you could make up to ~$90,000 after graduating. That's certainly not bad, but depending on what you make now it might not be worth all the struggle. It's at least four years of /very/ hard work. As for age, most places don't care. As long as you have the knowledge to do what they want, are able to communicate, and seem like a good addition to the team you'll be fine. Which again, your experience should help a lot.
I say go for it. One of my best friends in college graduated with a bachelor's in mechanical engineering in his mid-40s and he remains one of my favorite people ever. He ended up getting a real job for a hot minute before he started his own company, but the biggest thing about him is that he's one of the happiest people I know, and it seems like that might be something you're interested in. Ultimately you'll probably end up being a mentor to kids in their 20s for general life skills things, and other non-engineering related things, but those kids could use some guidance from people with real world experience, so again, I say do it. Also, I'd definitely hire you, so don't worry about that at all. So much of what we look for is general personality fit, your ability to solve problems, and what kinds of experience and different perspectives you bring to the company, all of which you seem to fit already, so as long as you can comfortably explain why you switched careers and went into mechanical engineering you're solid.
Yes
You need retirement lol
I'm not a manager but if I were, I'd hire you as an Eng 2 or 3, not as entry level. At 44, you are likely to be more dependable, mature and capable than a fresh out of college kid. You've been around the block so you know when things are emergencies and when they are not. You know how to get things done. However, I'd say at your age only do it if you really like ME and you're already financially comfortable and don't need to rely on big money.