Walking a path of regret but grateful

I (30M) decided to join QA 5 years ago as a fresher while holding a BE CS degree from a tier 2 college. The reason was simple: I didn't want the headache of a developer. I knew I would be paid less but I would be happy. I joined a startup of 40 people knowing I would be learning a lot more than joining an MNC. I wanted to spend over 2-3 years at this company and switch over to an MNC. It's been 5 years now and I have 3x my initial salary. I am really grateful for it because I never would have imagined I would be earning this much. I have literally worked as a BA, devops, QA and support among 6 projects. I did the work without thinking about it much because I believe no work is less important. Over the years, my interest for a developer role has risen and I don't mind the challenge it comes with as I am now habitual to the IT life. I have been preparing and looking for a developer position for the past 4 months. I can't seem to get one interview. It's really taxing to balance my current job and preparation.

Now, I am wondering why I applied as a QA in the first place.