Ask HN: Vertical mobility in the support sector?

I have never been terribly interested in software design or computer science, but want to work at a highly technical level. I am currently thinking about work in the support industry, as a sysadmin or similar, but I can easily see myself becoming bored of a position like that. Is there as much room for progression in the support and networking sector as there seems to be in software? Should I get a degree, or does a technical diploma take me as far as I need? I am currently very uncertain of my future, and trying to make the most viable decision, but there does not seem to be nearly as much of a drive towards the 'mechanical' side of the computing industry as there does to the shiny development side.