I understand the logic of your thinking. I really do. I am a software developer, so my "product" is essentially the same as yours.

However, I would suggest that you have a misunderstanding on what you should get paid for. It isn't for the end product, which is not directly comparable to what some other artisan would get paid for in the past (a concrete object). The simple reality of the situation is that bits that have no cost or difficulty being reproduced are just not going to be re-sellable. It is as simple as that.

So what do you and I have that we can "sell"? Our skill. I get paid by my employer for the TIME I spend writing code for them. Your employer? The paying public. Play a gig at a bar or other venue and get paid for that performance. Now you can make a living. It cannot be easily reproduced by other people, so you have a product that its all your own. Will you make millions doing it? Probably not. But it is an honest living.

You do do this because you love it, right? Not for the money?

You're frustrated because your expectations do not match reality. When this happens most people try to change reality. That works in many cases, but in this case I would say this is not going to happen. Changing your expectations is the only way you are going to be happy.

[Citation Needed]

I went back to school when I was 31. I went to a trade school and graduated with an Associates when I was 33. I got a job for about 35k a year (midwest). I am now 41 and make 80k a year.

The main reason I did not get a four year degree is the same reason you are having concerns - at my age I felt I was too old. However, by being ambitious and working hard I feel I am doing as well as I would if I had a bachelors degree.

If IT is what you truly love, then learning on your own is what will drive your career. The degree just gets you your first job. After that it is experience that matters most. There is no job I could not get now even though I don't have a bachelors.