But advancing technology has created new jobs in industries like manufacturing and construction that require more education and technical skills. At the same time, job security and compensation in some white-collar jobs is eroding. There is an idea that blue-collar workers aren’t as educated as those who work white-collar jobs. That’s because office work typically requires post-secondary education.
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. https://personal-accounting.org/blue-collar-vs-white-collar-what-s-the-difference/ 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.
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 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.
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.
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).
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.
This signifies continued blurring of the lines between blue- and white-collar work. An accountant’s basic level covers bookkeeping, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, taxes, and general ledger. The intermediate level adds topics such as depreciation, inventory management, and cost segregation.