The additional degree enables a 30k to 40k annual boost to salary. Total degree (associate to masters) cost is $80k. The comes a point where upward mobility is halted until a masters is completed. I am facing that now. So pay off is 4 years post graduate pay bump.
So that’s sound like the big corporate standardized/unionized salary/perk schedule. At each degree level you get X salary bump, X office size increase, X window options for office, X options with the secretary pool, ... That was never for me. I always would rather just cut out the middle man and get the maximum reward.