Difference between blue collar and white collar jobs
Blue-collar workers
Blue-collar jobs include mainlyrequire manual labour and are physically demanding.
They usually work in settings such as workshops, factories, construction sites, and driving.
The following are some of blue collar jobs examples:
Welder
Truck driver
Construction worker
Police officer
Plumber
Miner
Firefighter
Landscaper
Electrician
Auto-mechanic
To find out more about their job descriptions and salary click here. (HelpfulProfessor)
White-collar workers
White-collar jobs include administrative and management roles, which are much less physically draining.
They usually work indoors in office settings.
The following are some of the white collar positions jobs:
Accountant
Dentist
Doctor
Engineer
Human resource manager
Investment banker
Real estate agent
Politician
Software Developer
Therapist
To find out more about their job descriptions and salary click here. (HelpfulProfessor)
Why are they called Blue and White?
Blue collar: Historically many of these workers wore darker clothes which needed to be wear and tear resistant. So clothing materials such as denim and chambray were worn.
White collar: They work mainly indoors, back in the day white collared shirts were popular among office workers.
So these types of workers usually wore white button-down shirts adorned with ties under their suits.
So as you can tell these terms were made based on the image of the types of clothes these two different types of workers wore at their job.
“The clothes maketh the man.” Has anyone heard of this old term? We judge people on the clothing that they wear and even treat them accordingly.
Is blue-collar work respectable? Let me know your thoughts in the comments after watching this video below.
Nothing wrong with working blue-collar jobs, aside from the type of work they do can be unflattering compared to white-collar jobs.
Working in bad smelly environments, getting your hands all dirty, wearing ugly boots.
But these are all just perceptions of how we view these kinds of jobs as unappealing.
But, want to know how we enjoy our houses or offices in air-conditioned luxuries? All these lights, electricity, and the internet are able to run thanks to the work of these “blue-collar workers“.
Everyone thinks that “white collar” work is the way forward, and granted, “white collar” work is an integral part of our society – it helps people gain access to finance, insurance, healthcare, and much more.
But without blue-collar workers doing the work on the ground, these white-collar workers wouldn’t be able to conduct life-saving operations in state-of-the-art operating rooms or simply do their jobs. Clockwork)
Earning potential
Blue collar salary vs White collar salary
Image provided by Izabella Blazevic at TafeCourses
With the advancement of technology, automated machinery are starting to do more efficient manual labour
Although white-collar jobs usually are more lucrative. The market for white-collar jobs has become overly saturated.
Nowadays a white-collar worker might not earn as much compared to in the past.
That also means the line between blue-collar workers and white-collar workers is decreasing in terms of their salary.
Do white-collar jobs bring home more bacon than blue-collar jobs? It’s common to assume so.
According to a recent PayScale survey of job duties, salaries, and career paths, white-collar jobs don’t always beat their blue-collar counterparts. (PayScale)
Skilled blue-collar workers are out-earning office workers as the labor shortage intensifies. But vocational training has lagged. (JiemanGlobal)
The differences between them
The following are the 3 main differences between blue collar jobs and white collar jobs:
1. Education
White-collarjobs need you to have usually a college degree or higher education.
Especially true nowadays where most companies if not all require you to graduate from an authentic institute.
So it will be best for you to check how much you will be earning after completing your degree and if it’s worth the time and money spent on it.
Make sure you don’t major in worthless degrees that don’t pay you enough. Only to be seen as well-educated with that piece of paper by others.
Blue-collar jobstypically don’t need higher education and your high school diploma will do to get into the industry. Most blue-collar jobs need you to do physical labor work so as long as you have a healthy body you are good to go.
Although you do require certain skills, especially if you want to earn more. You can go to a vocational school to get them.
Moreover, these jobs provide informal apprenticeships and on-the-job training, if they see potential.
2. Pay
White-collar jobs tend to get paid more compared to blue-collar jobs. Their salary is annually based.
They usually have consistent working hours, it consists of a 40-hour week and maybe more depending on the country or company.
But, if you work beyond the hours assigned to you in a week, there will be no extra wages. You will rarely get paid for your overtime work.
Blue-collar jobs are usually paid an hourly wage or on project completion but can be different depending on the industry they work in.
Their work is not as consistent as compared of white-collar workers.
Take construction workers as an example, where there may be more work to do and earn more only if there are large building projects.
Unless you learn more and get a trade in a specific field such as an elevator mechanic, power plant operator, and power lineman.
Your pay will be much lower in the long run compared to most white-collar jobs.
3. Working environment
White-collar jobs are more desirable due to their safe and comfortable workplace. Moreover, some are able to work from home for some industries(e.g. digital marketing, web development, and social media management)
There is more focus on social skills for most of these jobs so that they are able to provide great customer service.
Blue-collar jobs work together as a team to get things done as well but they don’t interact with their customers as much.
For blue-collar jobs, the primary health concern has always been physical wear and tear. Unsurprisingly, the high level of physical exertion required can take a toll on the bodies of workers. (TheStreet)
Not to mention the high-risk nature of the job. If something goes wrong or someone messes up at the work site can cause injuries or even worse life-threatening consequences.
If college isn’t for you, it’s okay
Most people today prefer working in white-collar jobs and are less willing to work in manual service jobs.
Blue-collar personality and lifestyle
The ever-changing world
As we are living in remarkable times where we don’t know what might happen next and I am sure you have fully experienced it in the past couple of years.
The millennial generation prefers working in white-collar jobs and is less willing to work in manual service jobs.
This means when the old generation retires from manual labour and trade jobs, the demand for these jobs will increase in the coming years. Moreover, the earning potential
Some of the technological advancements might just put thousands of jobs out of the market.
Take truck driving, for example, self-driving trucks will most likely put the majority if not all of the drivers out of work and force them to look for employment elsewhere.
Although some types of work will not be affected as much compared to others.
Carpentry, plumbing, and electricians especially since we are becoming more reliant on digital technology, surely someone needs to be there to repair, install, and maintain the electricity going around.
Key Takeaways
The main difference between blue collar and white collar jobs is they usually do manual labor and perform administrative work respectively.
Blue-collar jobs get overlooked just because they wear funny-looking vests and ugly boots.
The earning potential of blue-collar workers is increasing especially in trade jobs.
Most blue-collar jobs don’t require college degrees, which doesn’t mean their jobs are easy and not essential.
More people are graduating from college causing the job market for white-collar jobs to become highly competitive.
The demand for trade and construction jobs is increasing, meaning higher wages.
Even with technological advancements, high electrical pole lines need to be maintained by humans.
Will you follow the route of going to college to get a degree, learn a trade, or maybe learn a skill online? Let me know!
If you want to know how to create more success click here.
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