Perhaps this is rude....

[sanantone]

FWIW, I was offered a GS-12 with basically no college on record. Experience was the key factor.

Yes, if you have experience at the next lowest level, you can qualify based on experience. The question posed to me was if the degree automatically qualifies for GS-13.

[High_Order1]

I think it's a very fair and reasonable question, OP.

I am ashamed to tell you how little I make, or offer a personal testimony as others have. But I will share my thought process:

I think fifteen years ago the era ended where you could make it on just a high school diploma or ged for most jobs.

I think that the two year degrees are currently the equivalent of a high school diploma at this point.

Employers are always looking to cut corners and cost containment, in my opinion.

Therefore, it would seem to follow that the dumbest no-experience candidates in the pool would be preferred, but it turns out that often they don't want to have to train you on basic tasks, like math, problem solving... writing cogent reports, so they are using a degree as an initial candidate scrub.

Now, if you never leave the entry level service industry (janitorial, food service, security, hospitality), a degree may have no intrinsic value with reference to immediate earning power.

BUT

Some times that education benefits you in other ways. Many employers will prefer an internal college candidate over one with simply experience. The raw education you receive may help you to recognize opportunity and be able to leverage it better than a person who simply works there.

I do know this: people with degrees are almost always given preferential treatment over those who do not have one, regardless of experience and vocational educational level. I've seen it time and time again, and read and heard about it for years and years. I think it's even with, or maybe slightly ahead of professional credentials in many cases.

At any rate, I don't think its' fair to equivocate the college degree to ' I paid X, now I expect to make my money back +' type of viewpoint. I think it's more like buying a kitchen tool, or upgrading a car motor, or any other kind of aid. Yes it is possible to do most things with basic tools, but having specialized tools or a bigger motor can ease difficulty and make you more viable problem solving a wider array of issues. And, there are a growing number of problems you won't normally be given access to without a legitimate degree. So, consider it an investment rather than an expenditure.

[Scryer]

I can't offer to much insight since I'm still working on my degree, but, I believe the value of the degree depends on you like for me I feel that my degree will help me in the future with learning business mechanics so I have a firm grasp of opening my own business, I know it isn't needed to start a business but I feel there is a need for it, also it will serve another purpose I will be using it to teach overseas. which is where I plan to start my business. That's my value that is what I will get out of it.

[Zachcleigh]

Before beginning my degree I had two jobs that both payed around $10 an hour. One of them was a management position. I haven't finished my degree yet, but because of all the classes related to HR functions that I have on my transcript, I was able to land a job making $22 an hour plus the benefit of free masters tuition once I make it to that point in time.

[gorilla_eight]

I think numbers is one thing, but so is the ability to work the job you want—for me, my job title requires a bachelor's degree at most organizations and while I was able to internally promote into it, I wouldn't even get an interview at other organizations. My current pay will not change with a completed degree, but any lateral mobility in my industry will require one.

[dfrecore]

My husband doesn't have a BA/BS, and works in the IT industry. I'm encouraging him to get a degree, not because it will change his pay (it won't), but because LATER on down the road, it may make a difference. I just want him to have other options, and one of those includes having a degree so that doors are opened for him when a company wants that piece of paper.

It will probably NEVER make a difference in his pay (he's in sales).

[jsd]

works in the IT industry. I'm encouraging him to get a degree, not because it will change his pay (it won't), but because LATER on down the road, it may make a difference.

I'm in a similar boat. Work a pretty comfortable IT gig, and my WGU IT Sec degree in progress won't immediately help upon completion. But it certainly opens doors down the road. And my company will cover just about all of it with tuition reimbursement, so it's absurd to leave that money on the table. It's like turning down a bonus.

[videogamesrock]

I went back to school and joined this forum so I could get information on student loans. I used the student loans to cover my bills while I used my regular income to save money to buy more rental properties. I added six new rentals in 2015 and hopefully another four in 2017. I've pretty much used up all of my CC allowed time and now the loans no longer make sense. I would say if we close on four more properties and leveraging the loans properly, my education was a real useful tool for expansion of business and of course a pay raise.