Chem E considering transitioning into software engineering /u/lesse1 CSCQ protests reddit

I got my BS in Chem E 2 years ago, and have worked as a process engineer since. I have found that I don’t like working as a chem e, and think i would like software engineering a lot more for several reasons such as higher pay, being able to work in big cities, the culture, and the work itself. However, I am already 26 years old and the only programming I know is MATLAB and some basic Python. Is it too late for me to attempt to make the transition? If not, what are my options? I wouldn’t prefer it, but I’d be open to going back to school if I had to. I’ve been researching a lot and was getting a lot of mixed opinions and was struggling to find anything relevant to my specific scenario. Thanks in advance and any advice is greatly appreciated!

I got my BS in Chem E 2 years ago, and have worked as a process engineer since. I have found that I don’t like working as a chem e, and think i would like software engineering a lot more for several reasons such as higher pay, being able to work in big cities, the culture, and the work itself. However, I am already 26 years old and the only programming I know is MATLAB and some basic Python. Is it too late for me to attempt to make the transition? If not, what are my options? I wouldn’t prefer it, but I’d be open to going back to school if I had to. I’ve been researching a lot and was getting a lot of mixed opinions and was struggling to find anything relevant to my specific scenario. Thanks in advance and any advice is greatly appreciated!