When you get displaced, or furloughed and you can respond "so what? I make more money with my side job" then the Master's is worth it.

A Bachelor's Degree will usually get you in the door. The Master's get you in the door in middle level, if not an upper level position. When it comes to negotiating your compensation it does make a difference. Someone on the board wrote $15,000 yearly. I think that's low, particularly if you have a solid background in the field.