[powatom]

You don't need it, but it may come in handy. I would definitely recommend achieving your degree if you are able to eventually - there's no way it can hurt you and it can only really help you.

I also didn't realise at the time how much I'd actually gained from my degree until several years into my career - not sure how it works in the US but I imagine it's pretty similar to the UK - being able to choose which modules etc you take means you can round out your education and expand it into other areas which may help you depending on which direction you want to take your career.

Generally speaking my principle is that any education is worthwhile. Software development isn't an industry which technically requires a degree since barrier to entry is relatively low and there are countless free educational resources out there anyway. That being said, having a formal qualification in the subject will increase your visibility somewhat - it's still true that a degree carries weight regardless of the subject.