Experience or Degree?

Or both?

Both.

Getting a degree tells the person hiring that you are committed, you stay the course and put in the work with delayed gratification — 4 years later, maybe 10 for a doctorate.

Experience is great because there is nothing that can substitute doing the real work.

A degree tells the organization you are committed to your long term goals and experience tells me you know how to do what the company wants to hire you to do.