What’s the Difference Between Blue Collar and White Collar Careers?
If you are just now getting ready to enter the job force, you may have heard the terms blue-collar and white-collar. So, what do these terms even mean and how will they affect your career choices? Let's take a look at these terms and why they are important.
Blue-Collar
Blue-collar is a term used to refer to occupations that are considered to be manual labor or hands-on. These include service occupations, manufacturing, construction, automotive, and other jobs that will often require physical labor as part of the day-to-day duties.
Blue-collar jobs often get a bad rap as being lowly, underpaid, or less important than other types of jobs. The truth is, that blue-collar occupations are essential to the function of our infrastructure in every community on earth. Many blue-collar occupations also pay very well.
White-Collar
White-collar refers to occupations that are often conducted from the comfort of an office. White-collar can also refer to high-ranking medical professionals such as doctors, surgeons, and medical specialists. White-collar careers often require a regular four-year college degree and historically pay very well.
It is important to note, however, that not every personality type is cut out for white-collar duties. Some people need to be engaged in very active work in order to stay healthy both mentally and physically.
Which For You?
It is important to understand the difference between white-collar and blue-collar work so that you can choose wisely when you make a decision about your particular career path. It is also important that you do research into what different professions actually pay annually. Many people often assume that a white-collar job will pay more. This is not always the case, as some blue-collar jobs pay very well too.