To clarify, does that 401 contribution take into account any employer match?

super generic example: why stocks and bonds, and not just stocks?

Often when the stocks are tanking hard, bonds are holding steady or even increasing in value. If the market crashes 50% and your 100K is all stocks, you're now at 50k.

But if you're (for simplicity sake) 50/50 stocks and bonds. when stocks crash 50%, maybe bonds remain flat and you're only down to 75k instead of 50k.

The tradeoff is that bonds don't appreciate in value as fast as stocks can... there's always a trade off. More risk of loss = more reward when things are going well. But more risk when you're older can wipe out a few hundred thousand, RIGHT as you are considering retiring. So diversification helps mitigate these risks. It's just that younger people have more time to recover from these downturns than older folks.

As others are saying, it's generally advisable to put down as much as you're comfortable parting with up front but please don't leave yourself vulnerable to emergencies.

I'd definitely be looking for another employer. If you can manage it during business hours, it never hurts to interview elsewhere and see what kind of offers you might get. What if you find out a similar role pays $34/hr and they offer you the job after you nail a few interviews? Would you stay at your current employer because you like them?

Edit to add, don't just look laterally. Look up. You know how to work the floor, you know how to run the tech department... what about management roles elsewhere? Come in as the guy with lots of experience ready for the next step in his career.