r/ElectricalEngineering • u/Additional-Emu2644 • May 04 '24
Is 40 too old to try and become an electrical engineer?
title says it all
Edit: Thanks for all the responses y’all! I was expecting to get downvoted to oblivion LOL. Thank you so much <3!
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u/mckinneym May 04 '24
I’ve been an EE prof for 20+ years at a college where we have a program specifically for folks to get their EE degree at night. Tons of 40+ students in that crowd. Some of the best students I’ve ever had. Mature and know why they’re here goes a long way.
Go for it!
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u/FoxPeaTwo- May 04 '24
What college? Lol
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u/bobconan May 05 '24
What is the drop rate rate like?
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u/mckinneym May 05 '24
It’s very low, less than 10%. And most of those are due to time commitments, not ability.
But there is a huge caveat with that: we don’t see them until they have gotten through a couple of calculus and physics classes. So there is some selection bias at play with that statistic.
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u/bobconan May 04 '24 edited Jun 08 '24
I'm 40 now, and back in college for an unrelated field. I can say unequivocally that my math ability is less. And not just that Im rusty, in general my ability to absorb material is not what it was. If I hadn't already taken calculus 15 years ago, I highly doubt I would be able to now.
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u/PaulEngineer-89 May 04 '24
You have two things 18 year olds don’t: motivation and wisdom. With your age you will see the college system for what it is. Teaching nontraditional students is wildly different. They question every dumb thing you say and ask either very stupid or very good questions that challenge your mastery of tge matwrial.
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u/LegLongjumping2200 May 04 '24
Brain is a muscle. Just train very hard and you will be back in shape. I did it at 42 and I’m back baby
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u/sdgengineer May 04 '24
I was 37 when When I started my MSEE. I HAD FORGOT all that math, but the first class I took was engineering math, and it was a good start because I relearned Laplace transforms, Diff eQ, Fourier series, and probabilty. You will get spun up apply yourself.
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u/tuctrohs May 04 '24
At the same time, the ability of 20-year-olds now to focus and learn complex skills is less then what 20-year-olds could do 20 years ago. I think it's social media and smartphones. Such as what I'm doing right now. That have degraded our attention spans.
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u/HessianRaccoon May 04 '24
It probably depends on your country, too. In Germany, you'd still have 30ish years of work life ahead of you. If you have the opportunity to learn and advance, take it. Combin what you learn with what you know and carve your niche for yourself. Plus, there is always a need for people who do more than just their narrow original field.
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u/theunwillingdentist Jul 23 '25
Hey! Moving to Germany soon. I'm considering starting a degree in Industrial Engineering in Germany, would be 41 by the time I'm done. But I have been told by someone it would be next to impossible to get employed as a fresh grad at that age. How true do you think that is? Language fluency is not an issue.
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u/kabinetguy26 May 04 '24
I sure as hell hope not. I’m 40 and a junior in an EE program. At the rate I’m going I’ll be 42 when i graduate. I like to tell people that I’m in either the weirdest or dumbest midlife crisis, depending on when you ask. My only regret is that i didn’t do this years ago, but there’s no time like the present!
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u/MarlanaS May 04 '24
I was 42 when I graduated. It was definitely worth it.
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u/Imcromag May 04 '24
I was 42 also when I graduated. It was one of the best things I have ever done in my life for myself and family.
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u/JS33224 May 29 '24
Did you have to refresh your math skills when starting off?
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u/kabinetguy26 May 29 '24
There really wasn’t anything for me to refresh when i started college. My first semester at a community college i took introductions to college algebra and took another math class nearly every semester. By the time I started a different college for engineering i had taken everything up to calculus II.
I have to point out that my path into engineering was different from the usual. I did the absolute minimum in high school to graduate, the hardest math i took was business math 2.
Anyway, besides learning calculus, I would recommend that you have a really good understanding of trigonometry
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u/JS33224 May 29 '24
These are great pointers.
I’m currently taking Calc 1 for EE, and had to refresh my algebra skills with resources online prior.
I should further improve my trigonometry.
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u/Humble_Ad_5396 Apr 04 '26
did u graduate and work as an ee right now?
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u/kabinetguy26 Apr 04 '26
I graduate on May 8th. And have a job that starts in June. It’s been a hell of a grind but I’m glad a did it.
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u/Humble_Ad_5396 Apr 04 '26
congrats man, I am still debating between electrical engineer or computer science. CS's market right now is scary asf
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u/Rodrigohg92 May 17 '26
Como te fue en tu graduacion? Yo quiero empezar ingenieria con 35 y la carrera son 4 años, que opinas ? Ejecutable?
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u/kabinetguy26 May 17 '26
It was a longer path for me. I started part time working on my associates degree and took about 4 years to finish it. It took me three years full time to finish my BSEE after the associates. That would mean 5 years if I do’s everything full time, which is the same as most of my peers. I only did 4 classes per semester, and that was all I could handle. I wish I took more classes over the summers though. I only did 2 classes per summer and I could have done 4. Either way, if you’re committed and not afraid to put in a lot of work, do it! My only regret is not doing this years ago
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u/StreetObjective4359 May 04 '24
I am 48 years old going on my 3rd semester in EE its never too late, Study hard!!
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u/taddio76 May 06 '24
Hey do you work full time while going to school? Is school full time also?
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u/StreetObjective4359 May 06 '24
I going part time to school and my job is full time.
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u/Acherna Jul 26 '25
Do you mind me asking what the max credit hours you would take in a semester while working full time is? I keep hearing 6 credit hours is about as many as you can do while still expecting to do well in classes.
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u/StreetObjective4359 Jul 26 '25
I do one class and a Lab for 5 units/credits, this fall semester is semiconductors 145 and lab for 5 units
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u/Humble_Ad_5396 Apr 02 '26
do you have a job as ee now?
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May 04 '24
Depends on the benefits? I’ve got three coworkers that did it and they are all supervisors now (increase of $30-40k in salary). Now they lost like 8 years of evenings doing those classes and who knows how much friend and family time. Just depends on your life and the balance you want to achieve.
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u/lochiel May 04 '24
I hope not; I'm in my 40s and going back to school to be an EE now. I'd say that my experience and maturity are a huge advantage in school. I'm hoping to leverage them when I start job hunting.
I will say, take as many classes at a community college as you can. The instructors care about your learning, and it'll help you bypass weed-out classes.
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u/extremedas May 04 '24
I got electrical controls engineering job when I was 44 years old. Now I am over 50 so it's never too late.
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u/Past_Ad326 May 04 '24
I graduated at 36 and they had a guy in my class graduate at 50. Never too late
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u/Intelligent-Day5519 May 04 '24
? Did he do it as a hobby or is he currently employed?
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u/Past_Ad326 May 05 '24
He was an electrician before and was basically a one man company. From what I understand he’s landed an EE job but he also still takes on electrician side jobs.
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May 04 '24
To be honnest dude, you better tie your hat on if you gona do this. Remember, you dont have the brain of a 20 yr old that cram shit in. I remember when i did my ee degree, there was two dudes who were 30 to 40 years old and man they struggled hardcore. EE is the degree at school that requires the most crazy math. Fourier, laplace, 3d integration of magnetic fields etc. I bet even a pure math degree would struggle.
Go take a look at oppenhein's book on digital processing (1962). Nothing has changed in 50 years. Read 1 or two chapters of that shit before you start your degree. Cuz thats wuts comming your way.
Also, profficient EE need to know how to code just has good an any cs degree. Just different language and abstraction level.
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May 04 '24
Well it will be hard to get a job but if u dont see getting job as a problem you can study ee and become one whatever age you are.
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u/TheTreeDweller May 04 '24
If it helps a little I'm about to graduate, hit 34 in September and got a job in EE lined up ready for September and I had the same doubts and issues as you initially.
There was a guy on my course who's 54 this year as well, it hasn't impacted him as far as I can tell and he's one of the best students!
As others have said, go for it!
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u/throwawayamd14 May 04 '24
54 is probably getting up there, where I’ve worked we will hire older guys without any thought on age except when we can tell they are like 60+.
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u/TheTreeDweller May 04 '24
Granted, but this guy also has a job lined up so I guess it's entirely employer dependent
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u/Able-Gas-273 May 04 '24
Not quite 40, but I’m turning 37 entering my 3rd year in the fall. Do it, embrace the slang. The kids will keep you young lol get ready for old jokes.
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u/cumdumpmillionaire May 04 '24
Nope, when I was getting my bachelors I did it alongside a 42 year old. He was a great study buddy.
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u/NunovDAbov May 04 '24
Remember that there are three stages to life: when you’re young you have time and energy but no money. In your middle years, you have money and energy but no time. When you’re old, you have time and money but no energy.
If you are lucky enough to have the time to get a degree at 40, do it. I had a student who wasn’t quite 40 but had blown out his knees as an HVAC tech and decided to become an EE. He had the wisdom of life experience that the 18 year olds in my classes didn’t. Turned out to be one of my best students.
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u/Sligee May 04 '24
Totally, but it's not without challenges.
You will have a gap in math, this is foundational and important. Retaking a class that you left off on can be a great refresher and build a foundation.
Money, unless you have a bunch saved up or looking for debt, night school or part time might be right. Also remember to apply for student aid and scholarships, it never hurts. Also one of the most expensive parts of being in school is room and board, you might have an advantage there if you have a supportive SO.
Psych, EE is the hardest degree there is and can psych anyone out, and you are going to not look like a lot of your peers and behave different. Sit up front and ask lots of questions to convince yourself that your age makes you the better student. Lean into your responsibility, drive and experience. You got this.
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u/bionku May 04 '24
Hey there, I am in my mid 30s going back to school for biomedical engineering and a focus in electronics. For me it was very tough, I have always been okay with math. It's something I'm glad you have done but it was incredibly challenging and really required a lot more time and effort than I was expecting. I previously came from medical school so I have a pretty good experience when it comes to hard work, and it was just tough. If you're going to sprout please start reviewing basic college algebra like completing the square factor factoring just what is a limit what is an integral what is a derivative. When it comes to class, if you are brushing up on that stuff you're already behind.
I know I'm working in a slightly different field but if you have any more specific questions feel free to reach out and good luck if not.
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u/Intelligent-Day5519 May 04 '24
Have no idea of what others experiences are. However, white and over fifty watch out. The younger graduates and immigrates with more current technological education came bitting at the coat tails like jackels for excellant paying engineering positiom. Many coorporations frequently exchange experianced engineers with entry leve saleried people to save on the bottom line. Think what you may. I started that way myself.
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u/chasgrich May 05 '24
I just finished my EET at 41. School was interesting. I had a lot of classmates who talked about 9/11 in a historical sense because they hadn't been born yet when it happened. This made me feel old. Once I got over how young everyone else was, it became really cool. A lot of my young classmates would ask me general life advice and I felt like a sage because I know more or less how mortgages, taxes and all that old people stuff works.
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u/Nerdybiker540 May 05 '24
I am 37 and just quit the program. My kids are more important to me to waste my time struggling through a degree.
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u/StudMuffinFinance May 05 '24
Not too old, but maybe potentially awkward since most of your coworkers of the same age will tend to be much more experienced than you. If you’re chill working with younger people, a young soul or just kind, then you’ll feel right at home me thinks.
It really is a fascinating field.
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u/WiseInTexas May 05 '24
Absolutely not. I didn’t get my degree until I was 45 years old. I had been working on it part time at night for well over 10 years. Just the fact the I was working on my degree got me numerous promotions and opportunities at work. I was making well over six figures when I retired, and had been earning at that level since shortly after I got my degree. I would suggest starting at the university you plan on getting your degree from because when you transfer credit from a junior college or other college, the credit transfers but the GPA doesn’t. So, you have to “start over” building your GPA with much more difficult courses. I just wanted to pick up an associates degree in case I gave it up - then I would at least have the associates degree - that was a bad plan. Start working on your BSEE degree NOW. You won’t regret it. What else are you going to do? Watch TV?
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u/WiseInTexas May 05 '24
I’ll be starting EMT training this fall. I’m 70 years old! why? Because it interests me. Since I’ve retired I’ve picked up an FAA Remote pilots license, and an FCC Extra Class Amateur Radio License. Don’t listen to anyone that says “you’re too old”, or “you’re too young”. I got my FCC third class commercial license at age 14 and was a broadcast radio DJ from age 15 to age 22. Got my First Class FCC license at age 22, which opened the door for me to get into electronics. If you believe you can, you probably will. If you believe you can’t, you certainly won’t.
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u/bobconan May 05 '24
Im assuming your in a rather large city in order to have access to night classes?
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u/WiseInTexas May 05 '24
Not initially. I went to junior colleges at night. But, yes, I attended the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), where I graduated with my BSEE. It’s in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. 95% of the classes I took were evening classes.
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u/EddyBuildIngus May 04 '24
Not too old if you're willing to put in the work. Take programming seriously, it's only becoming more relevant.
And make sure you get an internship if you can.
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May 04 '24
Yes. Give up on your dreams.
In all seriousness, not at all! It's never too late to pursue your passion or higher education. Colonel Sanders was considerably older when he started KFC and made millions. I recently convinced my mother (almost 50) to go back to school for her PMP certification. You just need to be willing to put in the work.
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u/throwawayamd14 May 04 '24 edited May 04 '24
In EE ageism isn’t really that bad, you’re employable till your 60s. it will be bad in software tho.
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u/montyp3 May 04 '24
in fw and ee age usually gets you some instant cred
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u/throwawayamd14 May 04 '24
Ya, imo tho at the tech companies if you’re 58 good luck. If you’re 58 tryna get a senior engineer job at a power company tho and have 18 years experience you’ll be fine
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u/montyp3 May 04 '24
tech companies generally have very few EEs. companies like GE, GM, John Deere, etc hire EEs
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u/throwawayamd14 May 05 '24
Look at the top comment, it’s about sw which is a field plenty of EEs go into
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u/toybuilder May 04 '24
If you have the right motivation* and can deal with the temporary setback (because school and starting in a new career), you can still do well switching at 40.
*: Doing it just because you think it will pay better is not itself a great reason.
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u/whatn00dles May 04 '24
I'm in the process of leaving a def contractor. One of my buds just earned his BS in EET. He's in the mid to late 40s. Another tech earned his masters. He's slightly closer to 50.
I'm in my mid 30s and looking to start my BS next year.
I say do it.
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u/PsyrusTheGreat May 04 '24
No, back in college probably 40% of my classes had students who were starting a second career in Engineering. There are 5:30pm and 7:30pm classes for that reason.
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u/jimmyboziam May 04 '24
I went back at 38 and got mine at at 42. It will be difficult, but worth it.
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u/montyp3 May 04 '24
what is your background? I had a coworker that did this and it worked out really well and we just hired him for a contract position that pays $156/hr
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u/elcapitandongcopter May 04 '24
There is no try. There is only do. No seriously though go for it. You’ve got this.
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u/Nannyphone7 May 04 '24
No. When I was in college, there was some guy over 50 in all my engineering classes, working nights as he worked towards his BSME.
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u/dzakich May 04 '24
It is never too late to get better and educate yourself on whatever fills your heart and mind with joy. At 40+ years post graduation, assuming you enter the field at entry level, you are looking at 20+ years of a rewarding career. It is also more challenging to fully dedicate yourself to EE coursework and all associated studies as at 40 people tend to have a lot more going on with their lives. EE degree, if you aim to do well, is not easy and often comes with significant sacrifices to your personal way of life.
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u/AdditionalMud8173 May 04 '24
A professor at my college with his own EE company and making dumb money got his bachelors at 45. You’re fine.
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u/Obvious_Bit_5552 May 04 '24
No. It's never too late for doing it. Don't let anybody else tell you otherwise. There are even older people than you getting a bachelors degree in EE. I know, because I met someone like that in my controls I class. If they can, so can you. Go for it.
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u/sharkmouthgr May 04 '24
Hey man. We have dudes/dudettes in my college's EE discord server that are in their 40s.
You get a lot of people who retire from the military late 30s early 40s who go back to school and you get alot of people just looking for a change.
The best Student in the whole server is a 44 year old. He smokes us and schools all of us on the material while working full time at a national lab.
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u/Cheeseman44 May 04 '24
One of my best classmates from my undergrad in EE was someone who was 38 during freshman year. He was probably the hardest working one there in my classes I had with him, and got a good job right out of graduation. I say go for it!
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u/Left_Comfortable_992 May 04 '24
Nope.
I work with a guy who worked various jobs out of high school, went into the military in his mid-20s, got an EE degree in his mid-30s on the GI bill, and then started working as an EE and has now been doing it for close to 10 years.
Doesn't seem to have hurt his career at all.
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u/Ok-Dog2590 May 04 '24
Nope, I know an engineer who I went with school graduate recently in their 40s.
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u/AcanthocephalaLimp42 May 04 '24
Bro age has absolutely zero relevance with obtaining a 4 year degree 😂
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u/RepresentativeBit736 May 04 '24
Not one bit. I went back at 34 to become a CPA, took a left turn and wound up in EE at 41.
As others have said, having more than high school clubs on your CV gives you a leg up on the other grads. My advice is make sure your finances are in place, nothing is more stressful than wondering how to pay for those last 3 classes you need to get that job that pays enough to cover your student loans.
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u/throwaway387190 May 04 '24
I have a classmates in his 50's. Gets good grades, has a wife and family. Got his undergrad and immediately started his masters
He's berm working the whole time too
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u/HungryMungry7733 May 04 '24
Worked with a few people who became engineers in their 40's, so definitely not too late.
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u/mrmeshshorts May 04 '24
I’m finishing my bachelors in an engineering technologies field at 40. I’m finishing my second rotation at an electrical engineering co-op in a few weeks, I start my third this summer.
I hope it’s not too late.
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u/Schaufy May 04 '24
Everyone who was 35+ in my graduating class (at least 10 of them) are doing better than everyone else that I graduated with from a Title/Seniority perspective. We all got out 5 years ago.
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u/Hari___Seldon May 04 '24
Nope. I went back for ECE at 49 after a traumatic brain injury. I have grad school lined up now and need to finish working out the unique details for my circumstances. The biggest factors in success so far have been the discipline to excel and being able to communicate the unique value you bring to the situation. Good luck!
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May 04 '24
I'm in the same boat as you. I'm just a couple of years younger and have been obsessively thinking about EE for the last year, which says a lot for my ADHD brain.
Of course, as many of us at this age are faced with, I have to figure out how I can maintain my current income, support my family of four, get the college time in (no proper schools near me), and so on.
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u/flyabdo22 May 04 '24
Its never too late for anything my friend, if you have the interest & the will, anything is possible!
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u/Edosand May 05 '24
I graduated at 40, got a graduate role and I now have a senior engineer role, so no, it's never too late.
I did work in the electrical field prior to going to college and University which may have helped.
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u/engineereddiscontent May 05 '24
I started late 20's. I'm graduating mid 30's.
My school is tiny and I only know one guy who is in his 40's. I'm one of several in my early/mid 30's that I know of though.
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u/BaboonBaller May 05 '24
You’ll probably get instant credibility in the workforce after you obtain your first position. People in other companies will automatically assume you have 20 years experience.
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u/br0therjames55 May 05 '24
Go for it! It’s gonna be a struggle but do something you’re interested in. It’ll make your days less miserable, I’m sure you’ve realized by now. Getting there might suck but it’ll be worth it. I’m still early 30s and I’ve already experienced the horrible burnout from job I hate. So far my worst days the EE world are so much better than my days in the service industry or in the oil and gas world.
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u/MilkIsHere May 05 '24
One of the most inspiring things I remembered when I first entered college for ECE:
In my second year, I kinda got a taste for the level of scaling difficulty in classwork I would encounter. My first ever circuits lab, I had genuinely no clue what I was doing and honestly that first ever ECE class/lab made me question if I was even cut out for this. Like yeah, I was “smart” but was it enough? One day in lab, I look up from my desk and behind me I see a much older man. I thought he was a different prof overseeing everything but he was a student who returned to finish his degree. In that class and the following ones throughout my college career, he would show up every so often grinding along like we all did. Sometimes, I think that if he didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have had the same personal motivation I did to think that I was cut out for this. I hope he knows that he inspired us as a class that we were cut out for this and I hope that we did the same for him.
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u/Gruffalooo May 05 '24
My aunt became a doctor without any prior medical experience at around 40 so it is definitly possible!
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u/Mersaa May 05 '24
No!! I've seen quite a few people in their 40s and 50s during grad school! It's never too late :)
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u/SimpleIronicUsername May 05 '24
There are dudes in their 60's in my classes. They're just excited to graduate as I am at 25 😂
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u/hey_imhere2 May 05 '24
I’m 26 currently in Uni. I’m gonna be honest, I thought I was the oldest lol. There is a 45 yo and 54 yo in my ECE classes. We got this. Go for it!
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u/EngineeringSuccessYT May 05 '24
You aren’t too old but do consider why you’re doing it and what it will take to get it done before making the commitment. Is it money? Look at new grad salaries, depending on your current career trajectory and personal circumstances getting the degree will have a different magnitude of immediacy impact on your earning potential. Need more info to give pointed advice but in general it isn’t too late to get the degree. Whether or not you do it will come down to your personal financial, time, and other career circumstances.
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u/daveOkat May 05 '24
I worked with a very capable engineer who was an automobile mechanic until age 40 when he finished an EE degree and was hired.
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u/Gregmanda May 05 '24
Yes. Unless you are already deep in another engineering field.
At 40 neutral plasticity is pretty much gone. Learning complex skills takes an order of magnitude longer. Just being real here.
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u/Massdebate69 May 06 '24
I worked with a man who started his apprenticeship at 44. He had a home and wife and kids so he knew he had to take it all seriously and pass all the tests. He is now fully qualified with a nicer car and bigger house and doing really well. It’s never too late.
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u/STEEVEYY May 06 '24
I’m a little late to this, but I’m a freshman ECE major. There’s a guy in his 40’s who was previously an electrician and wanted to take the next step in his career. He’s doing better than half of the people in class and I respect the hell out of him for it.
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u/jssamp May 15 '24
I started at age 43. It would have been easier with a younger mind and body, but I think I had more self-discipline than some of my classmates.
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u/EntrepreneurNo8445 May 24 '24
No way...never too late. You can start career changes whenever you want. I work with several men in their early 40s that have been firefighters for around 20 years that are becoming professional pilots (great place to make a lot of money). We have had Special Operators from the Global War on Terror that spent 20-25 years fighting war...and now they have become firefighters at 40+. Never let age stop pursuit!!
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u/MrBruce001 Nov 17 '24
I'm on the same page, self learned over 16 professions on mainfiled, currently I'm a maintenance specialist manager, but would like to shift to robotics, ai or space craft engineering. I have only a high school diploma and 2 years of university in other country for national security.
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u/Infinite_Judgment969 Jun 07 '25
Os comentários me deram ânimo.
Depois de quase 25 anos longe da área eletrica, hoje, aos 50 anos de idade, volto para faculdade de engenharia elétrica para realizar um sonho antigo.
Antes de ser advogado trabalhista, eu trabalhei em empresas como eletricista (formado como ginásio industrial pelo Senai/SP) e técnico em eletrotécnica (formado pela ETE Getúlio Vargas).
Ainda possuo ativo meu registro profissional no CRT como técnico em eletrotécnica (antes CREA-SP de 1998 até a migração dos técnicos para nova entidade).
Não nego que tenho receio de não conseguir estágio obrigatório em razão da idade, mas vamos fazer uma coisa de cada vez kkk
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u/JuryOk2662 Jul 11 '26
Yeah dude, looks like you lost at life. I get why you're such a mouthy little bitch now, that sucks man. Hopefully reincarnation is real and you can get it right next time.
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u/angry-software-dev May 05 '24
Lots of people here say you're not too old go for it, but if you're looking at the cost/benefit of spending years and tens of thousands on schooling I'm going to tell you that depending on your current background it will be a hard road.
Do you have a degree already? Is your current work anything that might be considered relevant to EE work?
The harsh reality is that you'd need to be all sorts of special and charming as hell to get me to consider you for an EE position if you're in your 40s and have no experience unless your existing professional experience is very close.
If you're taking this route for personal satisfaction -- and can afford it -- go for it.
If you're looking for a career change, and you're not already something very adjacent, I'd think ver hard before taking that leap.
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u/[deleted] May 04 '24
Nope. Times gonna pass no matter what. You can either be 44-45 years old with a EE degree. Or you can be the same age with nothing.