Do you already or do you intend to work in the blue-collar sector?
Contrary to what many people think, there are plenty of desirable, well-paying working-class jobs available.
The top five high-paying blue-collar jobs have also been compiled using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to help you locate the appropriate career (BLS).
To ensure that everyone is on the same page, though, let’s first briefly define what a blue-collar job is and isn’t.
What is a blue-collar job exactly?
Blue-collar professions typically involve a lot of physical labor that is done with the hands and muscles.
Dark blue uniforms were worn in the early 1900s by employees in physically demanding jobs. These dark blue materials were more scuff-resistant and didn’t require daily washing.
From this sprang the phrase “blue-collar.”
Blue-collar occupations include, among others, those in manufacturing, repairs, mining, building, agriculture, maintaining airplanes, and law enforcement.
These positions often pay hourly, as opposed to earning an annual salary.
What separates jobs in the white-collar and blue-collar sectors?
White-collar employees are sometimes referred to as knowledge workers because their jobs rely more on their knowledge and cognitive skills than on physical labor.
A job’s blue-collar or white-collar status could once be determined by the attire worn to work. In contrast to blue-collar employees, white-collar employees often wore spotless white shirts.
There are now white-collar workers employed in banks, offices, and other desk positions.
Blue-collar employees usually go through an apprenticeship, whereas white-collar professionals could have completed a four-year college degree.
Top 5 positions in blue-collar work
The top five blue-collar occupations are listed below, together with the corresponding median annual salaries:
Electrician
Electricians work with electrical wires in both home and business operations. They have the skills necessary for installing and maintaining electrical components safely.
Over the next ten years, employment for electricians is anticipated to grow by 8%, reflecting their high demand. There are many different settings where electricians can work, including residential, industrial, construction, and governmental ones.
Opening their own businesses or moving up to the role of supervisor are two ways that electricians might develop their careers. For this job, overtime, weekend shifts, and night shifts may be required.
What qualifications must one have in order to become an electrician?
If you want to be an electrician, you must complete a four-year apprenticeship program successfully. The majority of occupations demand a high school diploma, but technical schools can help you build the basis.
Authorization and certification are required for electricians.
How much does a professional electrician make?
$56,180 is the average yearly salary for an electrician. Salaries might rise to $73,940 with experience.
Police Officer
Despite the many roles that police officers fill, it is their duty to preserve lives and support the neighborhood.
One of their responsibilities is to respond to calls, attend to traffic accidents, interview and apprehend suspects, participate in judicial procedures, investigate crimes, and prepare reports.
The employment opportunities for police officers are numerous. Police officers can advance to detective, FBI, patrol, and federal wildlife roles, for example.
Which credentials must police officers possess?
A high school diploma is the bare minimum educational need to work as a police officer. Between the ages of 21 and 40, you must possess a current driver’s license.
In addition to passing a background check, there are physical and mental assessments.
Depending on where you live, you might need to go to college. After being accepted into the police department, you’ll begin a training program.
Who pays the salaries of police officers?
Various police personnel makes varying wages, depending on your state. 67,600 dollars a year is the average salary.
Inspecting construction
Inspectors of buildings are in charge of bridges and construction projects. The quality of the work and adherence to building codes must be ensured.
They use tools to check for faults, supervise projects, make reports, issue stop-work orders, check the work performed by contractors, and monitor contractors.
Building inspectors
Building inspectors frequently visit each site to check on compliance with the rules.
What credentials should a building inspector have?
In order to work as a building inspector, you must have completed high school and have at least five years of construction experience.
In most cases, building inspectors need to be licensed. It may be beneficial to have a college degree in a field like mathematics or architecture.
What do building inspectors earn in terms of money?
The demand for building inspectors is expected to rise by 3% over the next ten years. The average annual salary at the moment is $63,860.
Plumbers
Plumbers work in both residential and commercial structures to install and fix pipes and fixtures.
They are in charge of creating and testing systems, repairing pipelines, looking through drawings, and choosing materials.
Plumbing professionals can develop in their professions by starting their own businesses. In 2019, plumbers had 490,200 job openings. This job may require working on the weekends, at night, and beyond normal hours.
What qualifications do you need to be a plumber?
To become a plumber, you usually need to earn your high school graduation and serve a four-year apprenticeship.
In order to increase your chances of success, you can benefit from technical school education. The licensing of plumbers is required.
Do plumbers earn a lot of money?
An average plumber earns $56,330 per year in salary. Pipefitters earn the same as plumbers do in terms of pay.
Electrical power-line installers
Electrical power-line installers fix broken power and communication lines.
The position entails physical exertion, thus employees must be acclimated to heights. Electricity is a harmful substance, so those who install electrical power lines must take precautions.
Evenings and weekends may be required for work, and installers may need to be on call in case of an outage.
To build electrical lines, what credentials are required?
If you want to put up power lines, you must have a high school diploma. A program of apprenticeship that includes on-the-job training will also be required of you.
How much do power line installers get paid?
Pay is $68,030 on average per year. The rate of job growth is consistent, but it is not anticipated to pick up due to the way technology is altering how energy is used.
In conclusion
A high school education, an apprenticeship, or on-the-job training are typically required for blue-collar employment because of how labor-intensive they can be.
On our list of the highest-paying jobs are electricians, boilermakers, law enforcement, firefighting, railway engineers, plumbers, building inspectors, and electrical power line installers.
Most of these fields are in high demand and provide bright career possibilities.
Find entry-level and skilled jobs in your neighborhood if you’re ready to go forward.