Are there any good careers to start when you’re over the age of 40?

I’ve never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up and still don’t.

So I’ve been stuck in customer service and retail type of roles. I enjoy the work but as you can imagine it doesn’t pay nearly enough to comfortably survive on my own. I’d like to find something I’d be able to learn and grow to make real money.

Everyone seems to highly recommend the trades. My dad was in construction and talked about it often. He said there was always threats of layoffs especially in the beginning and could be out of work for weeks at a time if there was no projects. That makes me think it’s not very stable. Plus, I’m over 40 and not sure if my body can handle the physically demanding work.

My background is with jobs that require people skills and had a few friends get into real estate. They seem to enjoy it and do well. The only thing is most of the pay comes from commission and might go awhile without getting paid. That makes it seem sketchy at least to me.

I’m not sure what to get into at my age? What other careers can lead to good money?

Are there any certs worth getting these days?