I’ve received a lot of requests from readers all asking about the current state of programming and this entails software engineering, web and app development and coding-related jobs in general.
Is programming a white collar job? Or has it drifted to a blue collar job in recent times?
To answer this, I’ll start by explaining what white and blue-collar jobs are, and also take a look at their differences before diving into the nitty-gritty of programming.
Feel free to use the table of content below to navigate to your desired section of interest.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
What is a White Collar Job?
White Collar jobs are jobs that are typically performed in an office environment and involves clerical, administrative or managerial duties.
Some examples of industries with many white collar jobs include tech, accounting, marketing and consulting.
The term “white collar” refers to the white shirts many of these professionals traditionally wear.
In recent times, there’s been a lot of flexibility as white collar professionals are no longer constrained to the white shirt practice as compared to the 1800s.
Examples of White Collar Jobs
- Executive Director
- Health Service Administrator
- Market Researcher
- Civil Engineer
- Software Engineer
- Lawyers/Attorney
- Physician
What is a Blue Collar Job?
A blue collar job is technically some sort of manual or trade-related labor.
Some examples of industries with many blue-collar jobs include retail, manufacturing, food service and construction.
The term was originally coined in the 1920s when these types of employees wore durable fabrics like denim, chambray shirts, overalls, or boiler suits, which were often blue in color to assist in concealing dirt or grease due to the nature of their work.
Examples of Blue Collar Jobs
- Warehouse Associate
- Welder
- Landscape Labourer
- HVAC technician
- Floor Installer
- Mechanic
- Electrician
Auto mechanic at car suspension repair workshop
Difference between a Blue Collar and White Collar Job
| Basis for Comparison | Blue Collar | White Collar |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Jobs that requires manual or trade-related labor | Jobs that require clerical, managerial or administrative duties |
| Traditional color of attire | Blue protective wear | White shirt in a corporate outfit |
| Place or work | Field or industrial location like factory etc | Offices and Work Spaces |
| Job performed by | Workers | Employees |
| Renumeration | Wages | Salary |
| Basis of Payment | Hours worked | Performance and Role |
| Requirement for Job | Muscle power | Brain work |
| Education Requirement | Mostly informal | Mostly formal |
| Basis for Comparison | Blue Collar | White Collar |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Jobs that requires manual or trade-related labor | Jobs that require clerical, managerial or administrative duties |
| Traditional color of attire | Blue protective wear | White shirt in a corporate outfit |
| Place or work | Field or industrial location like factory etc | Offices and Work Spaces |
| Job performed by | Workers | Employees |
| Renumeration | Wages | Salary |
| Basis of Payment | Hours worked | Performance and Role |
| Requirement for Job | Muscle power | Brain work |
| Education Requirement | Mostly informal | Mostly formal |
Swipe sideways to see complete table
Is Programming a White Collar Job?
Programming is a white collar job because it’s not a manual or trade-related labor but more of a self-administrative, brain-intensive task usually carried out in work offices which currently translates to personal workspaces in remote settings and employees are salaried at the end of the month.
White Collar Features of Programming
- Various scope of programming qualifies as administrative, or managerial roles than manual intensive labor.
- Programming involves brain work and analytical reasoning as writing efficient codes is not a function of muscle power or physical stamina.
- Programming is an office type of work or carried out in an enclosed room like a personal workspace. It is not an open field operation and it’s wrong to compare open cafes to industrial work sites like a mining grounds.
- Programmers are salaried employees meaning they receive a set amount of compensation on a regular basis (often monthly or bi-weekly) regardless of how many hours they work.
| PROGRAMMING | White Collar | |
|---|---|---|
| Work Nature | Administrative - Managerial ✅ | Manual Labor X |
| Work Mechanism | Brain work - Analytical reasoning ✅ | Muscle Power/Stamina X |
| Location | Office / Personal Workspace ✅ | Field-Industrial location X |
| Compensation | Salaried Employees ✅ | Daily Wages X |
| PROGRAMMING | White Collar | |
|---|---|---|
| Work Nature | Administrative - Managerial ✅ | Manual Labor X |
| Work Mechanism | Brain work - Analytical reasoning ✅ | Muscle Power/Stamina X |
| Location | Office / Personal Workspace ✅ | Field-Industrial location X |
| Compensation | Salaried Employees ✅ | Daily Wages X |
Swipe sideways to see complete table
Is Programming a Blue Collar Job?
Programming is not a blue collar job although, in modern times, we can point out certain correlations like experienced software engineers/developers not having formal CS certifications and programming freelancers being paid hourly via freelancing platforms or hired services, it doesn’t still qualify programming as a blue collar job.
More emphasis should be laid on the physical labor-intensive distinction as it sits at the core of blue collar jobs and programming doesn’t fit into such description.
Final Thoughts
There have been controversies concerning programming gradually becoming a blue collar job due to certain correlations.
As we’ve seen above, these facts are not the generally known standards and not sufficient enough to qualify programming as a blue collar job.
I guess anyone making such an argument should join a team of workers welding underground tunnel water pipelines to really grasp the meaning of labor intensive task.
Programming has always been a white collar job and will remain a white collar job regardless of the uprise of experienced programmers without formal computer science certifications or hourly payments method widely gaining acceptance by freelancing and off-work service rendering programmers.
Most people often look down on blue collar jobs when making comparisons and the media hasn’t been helpful in erasing the naiveness in people’s minds.
They have the notion that all white collar workers earn more than blue collar experts which is false.
Have you tried hiring an elevator installer/repairer to service your company’s elevator?
Or have you sought the service of an electrical line installer and repairer?
The national average salary of an elevator installer sits at $97,860 per year, while electrical line installers/repairers earns $79,060 per year, these guys and a couple more high paying blue collar experts do earn more than many white collar professionals.
Nevertheless, no job type is superior to the other and the importance of both blue collar and white collar professionals cannot be over-emphasized in our society.
One’s career choice all boils down to individual interest, and where one finds peace and fulfillment of mind.
And it’s a wrap.
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Happy Coding!
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