White-Collar Workers: 6 Examples of White-Collar Jobs

Historically, the term “white collar” described the white dress shirts worn by office workers (typically men) in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Wearing white shirts meant these employees did not work jobs requiring them to get their hands dirty. US writer Upton Sinclair coined the modern usage of the term to describe people who work in administrative, clerical, or managerial positions. In contrast, blue-collar workers, who got their name from the blue overalls and jeans worn in factories, typically perform manual labor.

White-collar and blue-collar are two classifications of workers. The differences between these laborers include:

• Pay: Blue-collar workers typically receive an hourly wage versus white-collar workers who receive a salary or payment on a per-project basis. Historically, white-collar jobs have offered more opportunities for advancement.
• Physical labor: Blue-collar jobs are more physically demanding than white-collar jobs, which workers typically perform behind desks. Manual workers might work in construction, farming, and manufacturing.
• Social class: Blue-collar workers were more tied to a lower social class, known as the working class, than white-collar workers, who made up the middle class. Today, most of the working class in the United States of America are white-collar workers.
• Training: Some blue-collar jobs require specialized or on-the-job training, but many do not require a college degree, only a high school education. White-collar jobs usually require more education, usually a college degree, with the minimum being a bachelor’s degree. Many white-collar jobs also need an advanced degree, such as a law or medical degree.
• Work environment: Unlike blue-collar workers, whose jobs require physical labor, white-collar jobs are more specialized and usually done in an office setting (though some white-collar jobs, like a real estate agent, can require client meetings out of the office environment). White-collar jobs are less physically demanding than blue-collar jobs.

White-collar workers might work in the following industries and positions:

1. 1. Academia: Teachers, professors, and researchers are white-collar workers.
2. 2. Administration: White-collar administrative workers include jobs as human resources representatives, accounts processing officers, and office managers.
3. 3. Technology: In the technology field, white-collar jobs include information technology (IT) specialists, computer programmers, and software developers.
4. 4. Financial: White-collar jobs in finance include certified public accountants (CPA), investment bankers, and stockbrokers.
5. 5. Healthcare: Doctors, dentists, and therapists are a few of the high-paying, white-collar jobs in the healthcare industry.
6. 6. Law: Lawyers, paralegals, and judges are white-collar positions in fields of law.

Get the MasterClass Annual Membership for exclusive access to video lessons taught by business luminaries, including Howard Schultz, Chris Voss, Robin Roberts, Sara Blakely, Daniel Pink, Bob Iger, Anna Wintour, and more.