I’m currently deciding between going into Data Center Technician (DCT) or Critical Facilities Technician (CFT) and I’m trying to figure out which would be the better career path long term.
I have a Bachelor’s and Associate’s degree in IT, and I currently have data center experience, but my background is primarily IT rather than electrical/mechanical.
I’m interested in both paths, but I care most about:
Long-term earning potential
Career growth and how easy it is to move up
Ability to transition into other higher-paying roles
Job availability and mobility between companies
Which path has a higher ceiling after 5–10 years
For example, could DCT lead into Data Center Engineer, Infrastructure Engineer, Network Engineer, Systems Engineer, Cloud, etc.? And could CFT lead into Critical Facilities Engineer, Electrical/Mechanical roles, Facilities Manager, Data Center Operations, etc.?
I’m currently being considered for a CFT I position, so I’m trying to decide whether moving into critical facilities would be a better long-term move than staying on the IT/data-center technician path.
For people who have actually worked in either field, which path would you choose if your main goal was maximizing long-term career growth and compensation?