lol bruh. I couldn’t get my job without my PhD because of bullshit elitism, but fuck if I give a damn about 1-electron transfers n shit. I make money by handling money and writing code. Worked out handsomely for me.
Like Nas says: go legit. Believe in yoself. Live the life you deserve.
I don't have an advanced degree but that's higher education in general, isn't it? Just a bunch of hoops to jump through for the sole purpose of proving that you're willing and able to jump through hoops. And yet nobody has ever asked to see my diploma in 20+ years of working.
This angle would be akin to saying that a PhD degree is like having tattoos and other body modifications on your brain and probably on your cardiac muscle.