I'm in my forties now, I've been working as a programmer since I was 18. I love writing code, I love doing it as a job and in private projects. I could not imag

I'm in my forties now, I've been working as a programmer since I was 18. I love writing code, I love doing it as a job and in private projects. I could not imagine my life without having this skill. I haven't gotten rich off it, but I very well could have, and it's still a profession where monetary success and upward mobility are common. Writing code for work can be a mixed bag, though, since you don't necessarily always get to work on things you like or in a manner conducive to productivity. But even in "not-fun" projects, the reason why I often perform better than other programmers is because I love it. As a rule I have learned that people who are going it nine-to-five with zero actual interest in the skill set aren't as happy or as good. So how happy you are working as a programmer depends on many, many factors. Is programming a creative outlet for you? Are you working on something you care about? Are you getting paid and appreciated? Are you susceptible to burnout? All things being equal, if you already are a programmer, chances are you'll eventually be happy working as a programmer.