Trading pirate derivatives? I see a new housing bubble.....er, pirate bubble?

I have been working in IT at multiple levels for 10+ years now, and I just recently finished my M.S. in Software Engineering. I cannot stress how much the work experience assisted me in getting through the program and giving me a better way to relate to some of the course material.

Without a doubt, I have a better understanding of why some of our wins in the workplace were wins, as well as why some of the failures took place as well. For me, the context of the workplace made the degree worth it.

From the payscale side - I am an excellent developer and architect in the area where I work. The MS is a blurb on my resume that will probably never get me another dollar in salary, but I know it does make me better at my job - indirectly, I am sure that I will see a benefit down the road. However, do not expect anyone to break out a checkbook and start asking how many zeros you want in that salary just because you have the degree. Get the work experience first. Make sure you love the field, because it will rarely love you back. Then decide to invest another two years of your life in another degree.