I spent a bunch of time in the meat grinder.

Your bosses, and you'll have many, will be dumb. Your peers will have egos, and when they finally get a promotion (probably one that doesn't include a pay increase), they'll go out of their way to stifle any creative control you might have. By the time you burn out you'll probably find that your 20's are gone, you have no 'management' experience, and companies that are hiring are only looking for 'junior programmers with 10 years experience'. Then there's ChatGPT... which I've literally heard a manager, a guy that couldn't figure out how to open a PDF to save his life, say 'why do we need developers if ChatGPT can write code?' That's a whole new thing that's happening now that I'm not sticking around for.

I personally branched out of programming and got actual experience in Electrical Engineering, and am working on a business degree. Life is better now. I get to touch grass.

I'm telling you this, because after years of working in the industry I can tell you exactly why programmers get paid six figure salaries. You have to sit in one spot for 40-60 hours a week thinking about and solving puzzles that other people just don't want to. Few people can do this. I'm not kidding when I say I most of my coworkers have some kind of autism or an Adderall addiction. And your bosses won't appreciate what you do, because they simply won't understand it.

In a sincere desire to help you not make the mistakes I made, consider front-loading any additional education you might want. Don't put it off. Push back on working additional unpaid hours. Don't go in on weekends, or work additional hours. A promotion or pay raise only exists if you have it in your hand. The people at work aren't your friends, and you don't owe them anything. You deserve respect.

I don't mean to scare you off from the field. It has been highly rewarding, and I still love working with computers, but burnout is a very real thing.