If you’re old and wealthy, doing it for the education, not for the income, then it’s never too late.
If you’re not, then spreadsheet it. Calculate expected working life and expected income for current career trajectory, and compare with expected working life after education and expected income for new career minus full cost of further education including lost income while studying.
Or if your current works options suck, pursue further education so you can do something that doesn’t suck as long as it won’t leave you much worse off by retirement.
The calculations will be different for every person.
Remember any calculations and expectations will change over time, especially with the advent of AI. So do the calculations, then follow your heart. There’s no guarantees.
It depends.
If you’re old and wealthy, doing it for the education, not for the income, then it’s never too late. If you’re not, then spreadsheet it. Calculate expected working life and expected income for current career trajectory, and compare with expected working life after education and expected income for new career minus full cost of further education including lost income while studying.
Or if your current works options suck, pursue further education so you can do something that doesn’t suck as long as it won’t leave you much worse off by retirement.
The calculations will be different for every person.
Remember any calculations and expectations will change over time, especially with the advent of AI. So do the calculations, then follow your heart. There’s no guarantees.