IMHO, there won't be a shortage of computer programmers for the next 20 years. I'm over 40 too and never experienced any issue with my grand old age. Since you seem interested by software development, I'll tell you the ultimate secret to working with computers: tutorials. That's it, there is no need to be a grand master at one specific piece of technology if you struggle with a simple script on an OS you have never worked with.

My secret is to learn and know "enough" about every OS, every language, every framework out there. Of course you're starting and you don't have either the time or experience to do everything, but do it anyway, slowly, one task at a time. Compare, study a bit, read, and have fun. Also, don't be scared, no one knows everything, you just need to know enough to be able to help (and learn at the same time).

I wish you luck. It will be a challenge, but I love the field.

You may need to kick open a few doors. I probably could have done that, but I couldn't be arsed.

I think up until recently I had a different mentality than what you're describing, where pay was second, but the type of work was more important. I always assumed that so long as I was satisfied with the projects, coworkers, and company/organization was something I could stand behind, pay and compensation would follow.

As I got older and more "adult" responsibilities started coming (mortgage, family planning), economic security became much more of a priority. More conventional things I learned about employee retention and organizational behavior started to make more sense where pay and time off were huge motivational factors. It's okay to be motivated by money.

Did they confirm the offer _during_ your interview?

If yes, then it was a dick move and you definitely dodged a bullet.

I'm asking because I know of some cases where the salary range was listed in the job posting, but after talking to the candidate, the company decided to offer them a number that was below the lower bound, saying that the level of the candidate not enough compared to what they had in mind when they were posting the job.