I did not pursue a CS degree, and I guess at this point I wouldn't even consider one, except perhaps for laughs.

I spent my twenties as a journalist and bandsman in the military, then studying music in college. Yeah, music, The Degree That Garners No Wage.

But...

I messed around with computers since my teens. I started programming on TRS-80 Model III systems for a science museum. And I never stopped. Not even when I went to college to study music, not even when I studied journalism. I'm one of *those* guys.

Today, I have 10 years of corporate programming experience under my belt. I worked as a consultant in QA and Tech Support prior to gaining my first programming job, and found those experiences worthwhile. And I've only worked for two projects in those 10 years, which should give you an idea of my retention rate (companies want to hang onto me.. I've even survived several mergers).

Some of the folks who did not make it on my projects had degrees. They had certifications. They did not have experience, and they did not demonstrate competence.

At my last job, none of us were under 30 years old. At my current job, we have a better balance of young vs. old, although the older folks mentor the younger ones.

In my experience, the people with the degree really couldn't think on their feet well enough to write even the simplest bits of software, yet demanded more money. The folks with certifications were even worse. If you displayed either of these on a resume, I would try to figure out if you got it after you gained experience (for the sake of having a degree... I live in an area that often requires a degree as a precondition for employment... stupid government rules). I'd ultimately look at what you can do, not what a piece of paper says.

Oh, age? I don't personally care how old or young you are. If you can do the job, great. If you're older, you can probably work with customers better, because you're likely to be a little more patient (at least up to a point). If you're younger, you're probably willing to try some weird things that might be interesting, and at least have the drive to work at a crazy pace. If I were an employer, I'd figure out how best to make use of your faculties, regardless of age.

Get the degree if you want, but you should really ask if that's the kind of work you want to do. Are you really driven to do this kind of work? If you aren't, you will burn out. This kind of work will consume you very quickly. You must have a passion for it.