My employer (EE) won't hire you as an engineer without a degree, period. There is no reason not to as the BS seems to be as common as the high school degree.

In my department, not without an MS, though there is one guy working on it part time. You also need to be self driven and ambitious.

There seems to be a glut now of pHD, probably due to the shitty economy over the last several years. Might as well just stay in school.