uhhhh what are you doing it in? if you don't have any jobs lined up/plans then price it up, see if it's worth another two years of sleep deprivation and malnutrition.

They say that people with Master's degrees get higher salaries, although I hear from another professor that by the time they enter industry, the people who started right out of college are more or less on par from raises.

Where I work, if you are hired without a masters degree you are hired as a level 1.  After 2 years, you become a level 2.  If you are hired with a masters you start as a level 2.  Since it usually takes 2 years to get a masters degree, it seems to me it doesn't really matter in the end.

However, he did point out that a master's degree lessens your competition, and makes you more valuable overall as an employee. He said that goes even double when you get your Ph.D.

That depends on what you want to do.  Getting a post-graduate degree can be a double edged sword.  This depends on your field and what you want to do, but some companies may consider you over-qualified and not want to pay more to hire you when they can get someone without a post-graduate degree much cheaper.  Some other companies may view you as an "academic" and not really adjusted to a real work environment.

Really it comes down to finding out exactly what it is you want to do and finding out if people in that industry find it valuable to have a post-graduate degree.  If so, then I would consider it, if not, I wouldn't waste my money, just go and get a job.

I don't know if theres any truth to it but i've heard a lot of computer science/software engineering jobs are outsourced to India and China. Maybe instead of getting your masters learn Mandarin.

I can't speak for everywhere obviously, but I work for a very large company, and they do offer to pay for your grad school as long as what you are studying has a direct relation to what you are working on.  You can even sort of bend the rules a little as long as you can make a good enough argument that what you want to study in grad school will be beneficial to your job.  The only downside is they will not pay you back until after you get the degree, so you need to pay for the school up front.  From my friends that work at some other companies, it seems like this is somewhat common place in larger companies.

I don't know if theres any truth to it but i've heard a lot of computer science/software engineering jobs are outsourced to India and China. Maybe instead of getting your masters learn Mandarin.

This used to be true, and I guess in some cases is still true, but it isn't as bad as it seems.  The jobs that are outsourced are usually mind numbing code-monkey jobs that no one really wants anyways.

I've read Google is really good about paying for further education, but not sure about the others.

Google is actually really good about a lot of stuff like that.

i'd imagine it's competitive enough that if you're decent enough to consider it you might want to look into scholarships instead

Google is actually really good about a lot of stuff like that.

yeah like it depends on what HQ you work at but i know in california they have baby sitting and will find you housing and then there's all the stuff in their offices (gym, hair cuts, etc. basically you live a google life)

I've been trying to save up for LSAT classes and law school, but it isn't happening anytime soon.

I'd rather have a mind-numbing code-monkey job than work at Wal-Mart.
I am starting to feel my interests move somewhat toward artificial intelligence/machine learning and/or web engineering. Would you say that those would be doable in the sense that I could convince whatever company I'm working at (I'm aiming for Microsoft, Google, etc. if I can, if I can't still a recognizable company like USAA) that me getting a degree would help them out?

google is really selective, I hope you've got some pretty remarkable grades and a decent portfolio.

Microsoft I know will probably hire you as a temp which is pretty much a dead end at the company. Everyone I know who has been a temp at MS has moved on in a year or two.

dont go to phd if you dont like the field. i repeat dont go to phd if you are in the money. if you want ducatz get an mba which any half retarded chimpanzee can get. but dont get a masters in computer science

I've been trying to save up for LSAT classes and law school, but it isn't happening anytime soon.

man why dont you just take a loan like everybody else. nobody saves up for law school. i imagine its almost sure it will pay off. its not like getting a master in fine arts lol. also standarized test classes are for bitches

i will go to grad school for sho but i dont know what yet.. something hard science related tho

I enjoy computer science. It actually appeals to me, not just for the money. I plan on working when I'm still like 60 or 70 if I am able, I like it that much. So that really isn't an issue.

then you aren't human

then you aren't human

youd be surprised how much creativity there is behind programming something worthwile, like modelling star formation. more creativity than international relations atleast LOL

I enjoy computer science. It actually appeals to me, not just for the money. I plan on working when I'm still like 60 or 70 if I am able, I like it that much. So that really isn't an issue.

then go for it champ