The low barrier to entry is one the greatest things about programming. I don't have a CS degree, but for a while I spent some time actively studying data structures and algorithms on my own (and solving hundreds of programming problems at "online judge"-type sites like SPOJ; it's fun!). I don't feel in any way "inferior" to people with a degree.
I did the same thing, but I do feel inferior to degreed folks. Not skill-wise; I know people are all over the board with their skill level. It comes down to this statement: "I have two candidates who are equal in every way except candidate A never finished college. Candidate B gets hired!"
Going this route you have to be better than everyone else with a degree: If you're not, the person with the degree will win, every time. I did this with personal projects/passion/odd jobs, and now with a decade of work experience as an engineer.
Sometimes I want to finish my degree (I got an associates, so 1/2 way there!) but the ROI doesn't make sense with school being so expensive. My big fear is that I'll never get hired after this job because there are lots of qualified candidates who went to school, and I just don't stack up.
EDIT: It's also affected my willingness to change jobs, confidence in myself, and as a result my salary. I make $120K/yr in a high COLA. If you're reading this as a youngster: GO TO COLLEGE AND FINISH IT!
I've literally never seen a decision being made on the basis of having a degree. This might still happen in very small companies, but the industry as a whole doesn't care much about degrees when it comes to the hiring stage.
The thing the degree buys you is getting in front of the hiring people in the first place, if you don't have any work experience.
So, if you don't have any, yes: GO TO COLLEGE AND FINISH IT. (Don't worry too much if it's not Stanford, or Berkeley, or MIT, or whatnot - but get that degree. It's a shibboleth)
But if you've gotten past that point (like OP has) - you now have experience. That's incredibly valuable, especially right now. I'd suggest you interview. (The market is extremely generous right now). Don't sweat the degree or lack thereof.
> Going this route you have to be better than everyone else with a degree: If you're not, the person with the degree will win, every time.
> [snip] My big fear is that I'll never get hired after this job because there are lots of qualified candidates who went to school, and I just don't stack up.
Oh boy, this resonates so strongly with me. I even have actual proof that the opposite is true (when I asked about other candidates at my first "real" job while I was still in college, my boss said they hired me over people with a degree because of my github), I still felt this way!! In the end, I ended up finishing my degree not because it made me more intrinsically valuable or a 10x rockstar code god, but because of that exact fear you're talking about. I wish I was the kind of person who didn't have to do that.
This never, ever, ever, ever happens. It's a complete non-story.
While I don't feel inferior to them either, I think people with degrees have two major advantages.
1. They are pre-selected.
The ability and means to get into good schools and finish courses are powerful signals. It may or may not translate into competence but it certainly means something. People generally have positive perceptions.
2. They network.
Students are surrounded by like-minded peers, professors. Knowing these people personally can and often does make all the difference in the world. Sometimes people start companies together. Sometimes people recommend others they know personally and they get a job. Sometimes companies will recruit only from top schools.
I got the impression that the lack of formal education (in CS) left me with a gap in background information which I only partly closed over the years.