Is the opportunity cost of not having a degree in the field of your choice higher than the opportunity potential of having the one in the field you want to have

Is the opportunity cost of not having a degree in the field of your choice higher than the opportunity potential of having the one in the field you want to have a career in? Do you enjoy working underneath younger employees with less experience who are above you simply because they have a degree? It's simply harder to get into those interesting parts of computing without that piece of paper, and if you're going to put in the work to be on the same footing as those who are credentialed, you might as well get the credential to go along with it. At that point, you'll have erased the negative stigma you feel you have, and also know that any future failures to get where you want to go are not based on your lack of education. Knowing that it really IS about you is a cool piece of enlightenment that a lot of people aren't able to grok.