What Is Blue Collar? Definition and Job Examples

Although blue-collar work still entails some manual labor, advancements in technology have required highly-skilled blue-collar workers in industries such as aeronautics, film-making, electronics, and energy. The concept of a blue-collar workforce emerged during the Industrial Revolution. As factories expanded and the demand for manual labor increased, a growing number of workers began to wear overalls and other functional clothing in their workplaces.

Blue collar worker definition

Many people believe that if you work in the blue-collar industry, you make less than white-collar workers. In fact, many different blue-collar professions make as much as—or even more than—financial advisors, scientists, and veterinarians. Power plant operators, electricians, elevator installers, drill operators, and several others can make as much as $90,000 a year! Most blue-collar jobs pay by the hour, meaning workers aren’t exempt from overtime. Adding in over-time wages, blue-collar workers could easily earn over six figures a year. Conversely, white collar workers are typically found in office settings, performing roles in clerical, administrative, or management capacities.

Educational requirements

A blue-collar worker is a person who performs manual labor or skilled trades. ] Blue-collar work often involves something being physically built or maintained. In social status, blue-collar workers generally belong to the working class. Some jobs are for unskilled labor but today’s blue-collar workers often need substantial specialized training and earn high wages.

• The term first come, first served was popularized by shopkeepers during the nineteenth century.
• To them, the white collar was a vital symbol of their middle-class respectability.
• First come, first served describes a situation whereby customers are served in the order in which they arrive, those who arrive first are served first.
• Today, safety concerns have influenced the dress code of many traditionally blue-collar jobs.
• Others include white collar, gold collar, pink collar, red collar, and green collar.

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What is a blue collar worker?

Explore the definitions, myths & challenges of blue-collar work versus white-collar professions, plus how to manage a blue-collar workforce effectively. The term “longshoreman” originated from “alongshoreman,” which referred to a worker who toiled along the shore loading and unloading cargo from ships. Over time, the term was condensed to “longshoreman” to describe individuals who work on the docks handling cargo.

New terms, like “industrial workers” and “industrial artisans” are cropping up to replace the old. Most white-collar jobs now require basic computer and software skills. Those who hope for advancement may also need people management skills.

Furthermore, the next wave of innovation in the office was led by a motley crew of hippies and college dropouts. In Microsoft’s now iconic 1978 employee photo, Paul Allen wore the only white collar, but he also sported a big beard and long hair. While IBM may have been known for its white shirts and black ties, dot-com era industry leaders like Google have focused on creating comfortable “dress for your day” environments, bringing T-shirts and jeans into the office. In the 1960s and 1970s, blue-collar workers and their families became nearly as popular subjects for social scientists as white-collar workers were in the 1950s.

Blue collar workers work most often in a non-office setting (construction site, production line, driving etc.). They use their hands and physical abilities to perform their duties. Examples of blue collar employees include construction worker, machine operator, millwright, assembler and truck driver.

It appeared in the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 1946 and in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1950, attributed to American origins. Once white collar entered the language, it didn’t take long for its workplace corollary to emerge. Blue collar first appeared in 1924 in a newspaper in Iowa to refer to men working in the trades, such as carpentry. These men didn’t really wear blue-collared shirts all that often, but they did wear blue-dyed jeans and overalls to do their jobs. The shirts they wore were usually darker colors to help hide the stains that came with doing their work. The term blue collar worker originated from the color ofuniforms that factory workers wore.

Where did the term blue-collar worker come from?

At their most basic level, using the terms white-collar and blue-collar just categorizes different types of occupations. White-collar jobs typically involve working in an office or professional setting because of the stereotypical white-collared shirts men would wear. In the 19th century, working-class men often owned very few shirts that had no collars on them. (See Lewis Hine’s photograph of Russian steel workers.) Etymologist Barry Popik found that the term “blue collar” started to appear regularly in print in the mid-1920s as a contrast to white-collar occupations.

It was traditionally used to describe laborers with little education and few skills. The term refers to the blue uniforms or other work clothing that is usually worn for blue-collar jobs. Many blue-collar workers work with heavy machinery, using skills that can be acquired on the job or through trade schools. In fact, the term has evolved, as many of today’s blue-collar workers are highly trained and skilled and are highly paid accordingly. Eventually, the term widened to encompass nearly where did the term blue collar come from every job that was simply “non-manual” in nature, including everyone from accountants and engineers to lawyers and financial managers. Today, most white-collar work requires an advanced degree of some kind such as a bachelor’s or master’s degree, but there are also many “behind the desk” jobs that require no degree at all.