Education
If you want to have an exciting, high-paying job in the semiconductor design field, you're going to need an education.
Depending on your job function, you will find certain degrees more valuable, but like most jobs, you can have a non-standard degree from a reputable school if you have sufficient work-related experience. Some employers have a strong bias towards a few certain schools while others will send recruiting teams to colleges across the nation trying to find candidates for their large operations.