Hi hordak. :)
I think education is a great thing, and employers recognize you being able to dedicate yourself to something. Nowadays it's really expensive though, and earning power depends heavily on your degree field. Earning power can also vary greatly depending on where you live. For example, a job in New York that pays $80K might pay $40K in Arizona.
After reviewing the earning statistics for a higher degree, my husband went for his higher degree. Five years later, and a lot of debt, he just landed his first job and he's making just as much now as he would have if he had gone straight into work five years ago...and he's making not even close to what the statistics showed five years ago. We're also realizing that paying off that debt is going to be lot harder than we thought it would be.
So I guess what we learned is that higher education doesn't magically open a bunch of doors. You still have to compete for work, start out at the bottom of the food chain, etc.
My bachelor's degree made it easier for me to get work, but it didn't necessarily increase my earning power. I worked with a lot of people that didn't have degrees and the experience they gained while I was in school made them just as marketable as my four year degree.
Also, when you first start your career out of school the employer is going to expect you to pay your dues for the first few years...depending on your field, that means that flexibility for time off (if jr gets sick for example) for those first few years will be very difficult to get, and not hurt your career.
Depending on the field you are looking at, a vocational degree, or an associates, or a certificate program (nursing or physician's assistant, or business administration, etc) might provide the same result.
Just something to think about. Good luck!
