The usual caveats: This is just one man's experience. I have a PhD in Comp Sci. It took me 4.5 years after my BS to get it. (2 for MS, 2.5 more for PhD.) I ra

The usual caveats: This is just one man's experience. I have a PhD in Comp Sci. It took me 4.5 years after my BS to get it. (2 for MS, 2.5 more for PhD.) I rather suspect that I don't make any more than I would have if I'd just started work 4.5 years earlier, but I do believe that the work I've done is much more interesting than what I would've found with just a BS. OTOH, times were different then (mid-90's) than they are now. Arguably you could learn more about AI/ML if you went to work for Google or a startup right now than you would in school. I guess my advice would be: Apply to grad school, but look for an interesting job at the same time. If you find one, take it.