[m0zg]

Mid-40s here. I've built up a skill stack that pays like lawyering, and went solo. 3 years so far, no regrets. I work about 24 hours a week. I make a lot more per hour than I did at Google, but less overall, and it's fine. I get to actually enjoy my life and I'm not going insane with stress. If I don't want to work, I don't work. Previously I'd take sabbaticals between significant job changes, and I find that I can't actually stay without work for more than 6 months. Not because I need money or whatever, but because I just can't sit on my ass and do nothing at all.

I'm in the US though. I'm aware European software people are pretty much wage slaves, and they don't have much of a choice but to work until they croak. But in the US if you are capable, and you play your cards right, and don't blow all your money on unnecessary bullshit, you can be financially independent by ~40 years old, after which you can downshift and enjoy life, if you let go of the idea that your total comp will always go up, or that you can make all the money in the world.

Move to the US maybe? There's a dearth of quality software engineers at the moment, and people move around a lot I hear.

Also protip: level designations such as Staff or Senior Staff or whatever aren't even comparable between similar companies within the same city. I largely ignore them. A senior SWE at e.g. Google can be paid much more than a director elsewhere (and be more capable than a director elsewhere, as well). Look at how much you're getting paid, and whether the work environment is decent - those are the only two things that really matter in a job.