If you can go to school full time and you have a previous science-ey degree, you can transition fairly quickly. It took me about 3 years because I wasn't always going full time. I also went to a state school which offered a fantastic education as well as the maximum affordability.

Online classes are great for the general/filler classes that you will need. However, the core classes will need to be in classroom for obvious reasons.

The job market is really good where I live. My last two semesters is when I got serious about job hunting and found that there are a ton of jobs available. Depending on what field you go into with whatever specific skillsets, you can do very well your first year. I get pinged on Monster and LinkedIn all the time with recruiters looking to fill a role that they have for whatever company. There are so many jobs out there all across the country.

I won't lie, the three years that it took me to transition were hard. The school stuff and familiy obligations were hard to juggle as well as the financial aspect but it can be done. Being out only a few months makes me feel that it is worth it. Being home every night, packing a lunch, and knowing rather than praying that your income will increase year after is a very good feeling.

edit:
People don't want to do science/math-ey things because they aren't easy. If you can handle the science and math, you're golden.