Changing careers at 17 years into a job, is it realistic? (update)

My layoff made me rethink whether to stay in my field. I have good customer skills and I am comfortable with spreadsheets. Did you take a pay cut?

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

I began with informational chats, then a short online course, then a related entry-level role. It took about 11 months.