Changing careers at 15 years into a job, is it realistic? - what worked for you?

After 15 years as a welding apprentice I am thinking about moving into a different field. There are 15 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. I have good customer skills and I am comfortable with spreadsheets. Has anyone made a similar move?

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