If you already own your own house outright and are not faced with financial pressure in that department, a relatively minor step back in salary to maximize your

If you already own your own house outright and are not faced with financial pressure in that department, a relatively minor step back in salary to maximize your mental-health and life enjoyment seems perfectly reasonable and logical. It's not like a software engineer (who already owns their own home by the way) is going to end up begging in the streets. Just be advised that a software engineer's job isn't stress free either. Big projects can wreck you both mentally and physically. In some ways, being a PM is a lot easier.