This: https://blog.alinelerner.com/how-different-is-a-b-s-in-compu... lady suggests that Master's degrees are actually an indication that you're incompetent, unless you're a foreign student angling for a visa.
I'm a high school drop-out and I've been doing software dev for 17 years or so, currently a senior dev in FAANG. My experience with master's degree holders has been about the same and I often surpass them on teams I've been on when it comes to promotions or getting recognition. To be fair though, two of the most brilliant devs I've ever meet in my career had master's degrees.
From what era / decade? World isn't static. MS is CS earned in 80s means a different thing than the one earned today
- many positions in EU, especially on the leadership level, straight out require a Master's degree.
- most masters are consecutive. This means you need to have a bachelor in the same or an adjacent field in order to pursue the master.
- there aren't any high fees and the admission process is often more competitive that for the bachelors. Employers would rather wonder why you left university early. Bachelor's still has the reputation of not really being a full degree.
Hate to admit it, but she has a point. Though my CS masters program (BSU, US) only accepted me on a provisional basis until I finished the undergrad CS algos courses. It was more challenging than many of the MS courses. Partly due to the challenge of a foreign discipline.