Changing careers at 12 years into a job, is it realistic?

I want to move from welding apprentice to something with more stability. It has been a long 23 weeks. My family is supportive but nervous. Did you take a pay cut?

I took a small pay cut for a year, and it was worth it for the growth afterwards.

You likely have more transferable skills than you think. Write down what you did, not what the job title said.