Discover Which Of The 11 'Collar Jobs' You Have, According To Insights From An Industrial Psychologist
Where does your career fall into all of this?
Ground Picture | Shutterstock We have all heard the terms blue-collar worker and white-collar worker. White-collar workers are office workers who are typically involved in clerical, administrative, managerial, or executive roles, while blue-collar workers do manual labor such as construction, mining, agriculture, or manufacturing.
For the longest time, we have been led to believe that you can be one or the other, and that there's no in-between, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Because it turns out there are different classifications of "collar-jobs" that intersect occasionally.
According to insights from industrial/organizational psychologist from Florida International University, Dr. Anna Kallschmidt, you can determine which collar job you have, depending on your occupation.
Here are 11 collar jobs you can have, according to an industrial psychologist
1. Gold collar
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The standard 'gold collared' jobs are known as the 'elite' jobs. These elite jobs are the type to make your parents proud and to land you tons of money.
The jobs that fall under this category tend to fall into occupations such as doctors, lawyers, researchers, or even software engineers. But, why is this?
Well, to be considered 'gold-collared' you need to be considered a highly skilled and knowledgable worker. Which all of these occupations are. Because of this, it's unsurprising that they make the most amount of money from any other collared job out there.
With doctors making a median wage equal to or greater than $239,200 per year, reports the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2. Grey collar
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Though we know the difference between a blue-collar and white-collar job, a grey-collar job, according to Dr. Kallschmidt, requires both manual labor and technical skills. This can include occupations such as a paramedic, firefighter, flight attendant, or police officer.
Grey-collar workers often have certificates or licenses from trade schools, and already possess specific skills for their career, as opposed to white- or blue-collar workers, who are frequently trained for a position.
3. Green collar
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People who are farmers, biologists, zoologists, or activists are considered green-collar workers. Individuals in this category have careers that revolve around contributing positively to the planet, or simply putting in the effort to understand it better.
As of 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that people hold 80,500 jobs as environmental scientists or specialists.
4. Orange collar
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People might not know this, but prisoners have their own collar job category. Known as orange-collar, this is when prisoners are put to work by doing manual labor for little compensation. Many argue it's just another form of slavery. According to AP News, "They are among America's most vulnerable laborers. If they refuse to work, some can jeopardize their chances of parole or face punishment like being sent to solitary confinement."
In the same report, by Robin McDowell and Margie Mason, the authors say many prisoners were locked up for petty crimes and forced to do manual labor, regardless of the injuries sustained. As you can imagine, this system can quickly be abused.
5. Brown collar
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Brown-collar jobs include careers in the military. These jobs are known to be highly intense with decent pay.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage in the military is around $70,000 per year. But despite the pay and good discounts, the military has been experiencing a decrease in enrollment.
David Vergun of the U.S. Department of Defense News reported, "Ashish Vazirani [Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness] said that during fiscal year 2023, the military services collectively missed recruiting goals by about 41,000 recruits."
6. Scarlet collar
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Those who work in the adult entertainment industry are often labeled as scarlet-collar workers. Scarlet-collar workers are in a dangerous field, with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reporting that workers are more likely to be at a higher risk for STIs, violence, and incarceration.
Despite this, the IUSW reports that there are approximately 52 million people in the industry.
7. No collar
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If you're free-spirited or consider yourself an artist, you fall into this category. People who are artists or musicians don't have a collar. As a matter of fact, their collar is known as the no-collar category, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting that there are only 2.67 million workers in the field. If you're in this type of career, you're a rarity.
8. Open collar
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Open-collar workers are people who work from home. Fitting in its name, open-collar workers have the flexibility to get their work done and attend to pressing matters all while not having to leave their house.
One study reports, "People working from home consistently report greater job motivation and satisfaction." But that's not all. A Stanford study also found that working from home increases productivity by 13%.
9. Silver collar
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If you went to a trade school or received your associate's degree, you're likely known as a silver-collar worker. According to Dr. Kallschmidt, people who are silver-collar workers are technicians, radiologists, or paramedics (paramedics can fall into other categories as well).
Being a silver-collar worker might be the smartest decision you ever make. Because, according to the National Society of High School Scholars, trade school saves money, increases lifetime earnings, and helps you gain financial and professional stability.
10. Pink collar
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Pink-collar workers are known as nurturing fields that typically tend to be female-dominated, like social work, nursing, childcare, or teaching.
Despite their importance, pink-collar workers are grossly underpaid. The National Education Association reports that the median salary for a teacher is typically only $44,530, which, in this economy, isn't nearly enough.
11. Black collar
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To be considered a black-collar worker, you need to meet one of two requirements. According to Dr. Kallschmidt, you need to be either in a field that requires you to get dirty (construction, oil, or mining), or you need to be performing illegal jobs (working in the black market).
Like pink-collar workers, black-collar workers are also underpaid. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that construction workers only make $44,310 a year, and considering the amount of manual labor they put in, it's extremely low.
Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a bachelor's in psychology who covers self-help, relationships, career, and family topics.