I totally agree. Engineering was the worst of them all and paid the best by far. I worked with people that showed up for money only and hated the rest of it. Actually when I made detective it was interesting but I really missed the action on the street. If I was single I would still be a cop, very interesting work. Now as a school teacher I have great classes and then ones that drive me crazy. Students get away with so much now compared to when I was a kid.
A lot of people think it is crazy but I think we need to go for what makes us happy. Money doesn't mean a darn thing if you hate life earning it.
You are touching on a realisation that I'm only just formulating at this stage of my life. My working hypothesis is that it should be an objective to only make enough income to live comfortably and secure a little for the future. By this I mean that perhaps earning in excess of that should be something actively avoided as by doing so, we trade more of our life than is warranted resulting in the engineering observations you describe.
I'm only coming to grips with this thinking after some time off from the rat race but experiencing what little nuances and small pleasures life has to offer when you're not stuck in an office every day makes for sobering lightbulb moments.