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The Global Insight

What jobs are white-collar?

Author

John Hall

Updated on March 29, 2026

Typical white-collar jobs include company management, lawyers, accountants, financial and insurance jobs, consultants, and computer programmers, among many others. Many jobs that require a shirt and tie today are actually low-paying and high stress, especially in the modern services and technology sectors.

What is an example of a blue collar job?

Examples of blue collar employees include construction worker, machine operator, millwright, assembler and truck driver. However, workers in some service professions could also be categorized as being blue collar, e.g. home health aides or cashiers.

What are the most common blue collar jobs?

Top 10 Blue Collar Jobs

  • Electrician. Median Pay: $55,190 (Source: BLS)
  • Electrical Power-Line Installer/Repairer. Median Pay: $70,240 (Source: BLS)
  • Elevator Installer/Repairer.
  • Plumber.
  • Firefighter.
  • Nuclear Power Reactor Operator.
  • Transportation Inspectors.
  • Telecommunications Equipment Installer/Repairer.

Is a doctor a white or blue collar job?

Some examples of White Collar jobs include; corporate executives, advertising and public relation professionals, architects, stockbrokers, doctors, dentists and dietitians. Very often these positions can be highly stressful, demanding and require good time management skills.

Can a white collar job be a blue collar job?

It is possible for white collar jobs to be working class. Likewise, many blue collar professions are middle class. An analogy to the blue shirts supposedly worn by workers who perform physical labor. Apparently coined in a 1924 newspaper article from The Times of Alden, Iowa.

Are there health challenges associated with white collar jobs?

Because of this, the health challenges associated with white-collar work are only beginning to be studied by scientists and the field of medicine as a whole.

Is it easier to transition from blue collar to white collar?

“The transition to a new job, whether blue-collar or white-collar, is easier if your identity is not your job,” she says, adding that “all sorts of insecurities can crop up” when men make this transition. I reached out to a few other men who’ve made the transition later in life.

Where did the term white collar job come from?

Still, the color symbolism behind them has always been the same. Few people agree on the exact origin of the phrase “white-collar job.” According to many dictionaries, its first known use was in 1911. In contrast, online etymology records state that the word appeared in 1909.