In media (TV, books, games, songs) involving the Medieval or Early Modern Era Europe, banditry is portrayed as a common occurrence. How viable of a career option was banditry in 15th-17th century Europe? How dangerous were European countrysides and roads for travelers in the era?

I have an earlier answer that looks mostly at the 14th and 15th centuries, if you're interested:

In fantasy books, bandits seem to be a very common occurrence. So far that merchants often hire mercenaries to protect caravans. Was that really a problem in medieval Europe and if yes who were the bandits and how big were the groups?

One of the major problems I outline there is that "bandits" were frequently the local nobility feuding and pillaging. This would have declined in prominence into the early modern era, as the upper nobility and royalty were able to bring the lower nobility more in line (generally through a combination of carrot and stick measures). However, we still hear plenty in court records and similar sources about outlaw gangs waylaying travelers.