[Eridrus]

I found security to be more financially rewarding than dev work (in the US) by asking developers at places I worked how much they were paid.

I wouldn't really recommend being a pentester either, but there is plenty of need for people who understand security and can code to write software.

It seems like you're having a tough time, and maybe ageism is a factor here, but none of what you're saying really meshes with my experience.