OK, let's use the word "profession" instead of "career."
Like many people, I'm not certain what I'd like to do, exactly. But my question was not "what high-paying job will an MFA, as an advanced degree, allow me to get?" Rather, it was "what kind of job (period) will an MFA prepare me for?" I ask the question in earnest. We all have to make a living, after all.
Because it seems to me that if two people were applying for a job at a museum or gallery, in curation or collections management or education or what have you, and one had an MA (in art history, museum studies, curatorial studies, etc.) and the other an MFA, the former would be considered more qualified. It might be that someone with significant volunteer experience in the arts would also be considered more qualified. It could be that I'm 100% wrong about that. (I have personally spoken to gallerists about this, though, and they've all pretty much told me that they don't look at whether or not artists have MFAs or where they got their degrees.)
I wanted to bring the subject up for discussion, because I'd value hearing others' perspectives. Of course, there are many reasons to get an MFA--I'm focusing here on practical considerations. I realize that. I'm not in any doubt about the value of advanced education for the purpose of enhancing one's life and one's artwork, or about the value of leading the life of the mind. My doubts lie elsewhere.