Blue collar job market is even more diverse than white collar as it includes a range of workers extending from unskilled manual labourers to extremely qualified technicians and skilled businessmen. Warehouse workers are among the lowest-paid employees in America. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for warehouse workers is just over $15,000.
Blue-collar workers often receive hourly wages and shift assignments each week. White-collar jobs often provide retirement benefits and PTO (Paid Time Off) to their employees, whereas blue-collar jobs may not provide as much. The name comes from older times, too, when office workers usually https://personal-accounting.org/blue-collar-vs-white-collar-what-s-the-difference/ wore white, collared shirts at work (and some of them still do). White collar jobs examples include bank employees, people in finance jobs, or administrative assistants. Both terms have meanings that evoke different images, including the type of work involved and how people are paid.
Roles and Responsibilities
This collared divide of occupations was quite recent, emerging in the 1930s. This linguistic development followed on the heels of more than a century of changes in the nature of work and clothing. The collared divide of occupations emerged in the 1930s, following more than a century of changes in the nature of work and clothing.
- “White-collar” and “blue-collar” are terms that have strong connotations – partly because they bring vivid images to our minds.
- Farming became industrialized leading to an increase in unemployment.
- In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for warehouse workers is just over $15,000.
- Blue-collar workers often receive hourly wages and shift assignments each week.
- White-collar professions often refer to office or “work from home” positions.
- A blue-collar job would traditionally focus on physical exertion, rather than mental attention.
They may work outdoors and/or work with heavy machinery or animals. Skills can be acquired on the job or, more commonly, at a trade school. In the 19th century, working-class men often owned very few shirts that had no collars on them. It appeared in the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 1946 and in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1950, attributed to American origins.
Blue-Collar Workers
Most civil engineers work for government organizations or private companies. They design roads, bridges, water treatment facilities, waste disposal sites, housing development, and other structures. Anuradha has a BA degree in English, French, and Translation studies. She is currently reading for a Master’s degree in Teaching English Literature in a Second Language Context.
This type of job typically requires hard, physical work and long hours. A white-collar worker is one who works in a professional or administrative role in what people often refer to as a desk job. And unlike the work uniform a blue-collar worker might wear, white-collar workers are more often found in a suit and tie (though casual office attire has become more common).
Blue-Collar Jobs
White collar workers receive an annual salary while blue collar workers receive an hourly wage. Blue-collar jobs involve manual labor, while white-collar roles are typically professional or administrative office jobs. White-collar work traditionally signifies membership in a higher social class than that of blue-collar workers, but the borders are constantly shifting.
What is a red collar job?
Red collar – Government workers of all types; derived from compensation received from red ink budget. In China, it also refers to Communist Party officials in private companies.
Far more people are earning bachelor’s degrees, and they often expect to earn higher wages. Although most people with college degrees end up in white-collar jobs, there are also highly skilled blue-collar jobs that pay higher salaries than many white-collar positions. In many instances, blue-collar jobs offer an hourly wage and are assigned a certain number of hours or shifts per week. Blue-collar workers tend to receive fewer benefits from employers, and a decrease in hours or shifts can result in financial insecurity. However, both professional categories can earn high wages based on experience, skills, and position. In modern society, the connotation of a blue-collar worker belonging to a lower socio-economic class is, therefore, outdated.
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