I started teaching myself programming at 23, and I'm now 25. You are far from too old, but the real issue is time, motivation, and aptitude. At this point in yo

I started teaching myself programming at 23, and I'm now 25. You are far from too old, but the real issue is time, motivation, and aptitude. At this point in your life do you have the time to go back and get a CS degree? Or learn enough online that you can build a portfolio? If you can get a junior position early, then you can learn and get paid at the same time which is the optimal situation, but if you cannot do that, you will need to invest significant time and energy learning. Can you find the time to do that at this point in your life? As others have said, I think if you don't get a CS degree, you really need to focus on results. Anyone can give programming a shot these days, but only some will ever be able to ship decent software and get paid to do it. Software development is ideally a meritocratic endeavor, so if you can develop the skills, age shouldn't hold you back. What would hold you back is not having enough time, motivation, or aptitude to develop the skills needed to get a job. Even if you can't get a job though, programming is a useful life skill, so I personally think it's worth a shot if you can find the time.