Maybe. I got a degree in Chemistry, but I am now a web developer. I programmed for years as a hobby, but the real world made me switch. I looked as the prospect

Maybe. I got a degree in Chemistry, but I am now a web developer. I programmed for years as a hobby, but the real world made me switch. I looked as the prospects for Chemistry: an entry level job barely above minimum wage often or a decade more of education for barely more. And the prospects for WebDev on the West Coast: you already know if you are on HN. Also I was treated very poorly as a research assistant in undergrad. Programming and technology is largely very welcoming to newcomers. However, no one wanted to listen to my ideas because I didn't have 15 years of degrees and a title with 3 different abbreviations. It wasn't that Chemistry was less interesting, it just had much higher barriers for much lower payout. And you only get to live once.