Posted on 05/20/2024 10:25:46 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
High-paying jobs are traditionally associated with office environments and involve clerical, managerial, or administrative duties. These are often referred to as "white-collar" jobs.
However, this does not affect the earning potential of skilled "blue-collar" professions that involve hands-on work. Let's explore the definition of blue-collar jobs and check some of the highest-paying positions in this field.
A focus on manual labour characterizes blue-collar jobs. These roles range from requiring minimal qualifications to demanding specialised skills and certifications. A college degree is usually not mandatory, but a high school diploma or GED is typically expected.
Blue-collar occupations span various industries, including retail, manufacturing, sanitation, food service, warehousing, and construction. Compensation typically comes in hourly wages, though some positions offer project-based or annual salaries.
Here we explore 14 of the most lucrative blue-collar professions in the United States. This ranking is based on the most recent mean annual wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2023). It's important to note that salaries for these blue-collar jobs can vary depending on location, experience level, and specific employer.
Salary: $99,540 a year
Ship and boat captains and operators are responsible for the safe and efficient operation of vessels on waterways like rivers, lakes, and oceans. They oversee navigation, coordinate with crew members, and ensure adherence to maritime regulations.
To become a captain of a private or commercial vessel, you'll typically need a combination of experience at sea, passing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved exam, and relevant certifications. Anyone over 18 can qualify as a boat operator, but becoming a captain requires a dedicated career path.
Salary: $97,040 a year
Nuclear technicians play a vital role in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities. They assist engineers and scientists with various tasks, including maintaining radiation detection and monitoring devices.
While a four-year degree is not always mandatory, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) suggests many employers prefer candidates with an associate's degree in nuclear science, technology, or a related field. Additionally, relevant certifications and hands-on experience are highly valuable in this field. Military experience working with nuclear reactors or related technologies can also be a stepping stone to a nuclear technician career.
Salary: $94,820 a year
Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers are the unsung heroes who keep our lights on. They work together to ensure the safe and efficient generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
These roles typically require a high school diploma or equivalent, combined with on-the-job training and industry certifications. Some positions, particularly for nuclear power plant operators, may necessitate a specific degree and specialised licensing. All power plant personnel undergo rigorous background checks and drug screenings.
Salary: $93,960 a year
Installers and repair men are technicians who ensure the safe operation of elevators and escalators. Their duties involve installation, repair, and maintenance and may require on-call emergency response. The National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) offers apprenticeships in this field.
Salary: $93,850 a year
Makeup artists use cosmetics to enhance clients' appearance, including fashion shows, film productions, and special occasions. Earning potential can be exceptionally high in films, television, or theatre. Typically, they possess an esthetician's license or have undergone equivalent beauty school training.
Salary: $91,610 a year
These roles typically require experience as a police officer, often followed by specialized training in investigation. A background in criminal justice or forensics can also be beneficial.
Salary: $85,630 a year
Commercial divers perform underwater construction, maintenance, and repair tasks. They require a high school diploma, GED, physical fitness, and specialised diving, welding, and underwater operations training.
Salary: $84,860 a year
Broadcast technicians and engineers, who often work behind the scenes, ensure the smooth operation of equipment for radio and television broadcasts. Some technical skills can be learned on the job, but numerous employers prefer candidates with specialised training or apprenticeships.
Salary: $84,860 a year
Dental hygienists provide dental care alongside dentists, performing teeth cleanings, screenings, and patient education. They must graduate from an accredited program and pass national exams.
Salary: $84,410 a year
Diagnostic medical sonographers use ultrasound technology to create images of internal organs for medical diagnosis. An accredited two-year sonography program typically qualifies you for this career.
Salary: $84,190 a year
Postmasters and mail superintendents oversee staff, ensure efficient mail processing and delivery, and maintain office operations. The role typically requires passing qualifying exams and background checks, and experience in administration can be beneficial.
Salary: $83,790 a year
This category comprises those who manage agricultural operations, including farms and ranches. The role often involves hands-on work, business expertise, and joint on-the-job training. For more information, explore Farmers.gov, a U.S. Department of Agriculture resource.
Salary: $82,770 a year
These workers install and maintain power lines, ensuring electricity reaches homes and businesses. The job often requires on-call availability and can involve working in challenging weather conditions. Apprenticeships are a common pathway to this career, and they are the best way to enter this field.
Salary: $81,530 a year
As the name suggests, MRI technologists operate MRI machines to produce diagnostic images for medical purposes. They assist doctors and require an associate's degree or certification, often with internship experience.
Salary: $79,770 a year
Transportation inspectors perform thorough checks to ensure the safety of transportation systems like railways and cargo. An associate's degree in construction or engineering and hands-on experience are typical for this role.
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked concerns about job displacement, with prominent figures like Bill Gates suggesting that AI tutors could one-day handle tasks currently performed by human teachers.
A recent report underscores this concern, predicting that over 75 percent of companies will adopt A.I. within five years. However, not all jobs are equally at risk.
According to a Hackernoon report, blue-collar careers involving manual dexterity and problem-solving are likely less susceptible to automation than white-collar jobs with routine tasks.
While AI threatens repetitive manufacturing, retail, and agriculture tasks, the report suggests it may primarily fill existing vacancies rather than displace current workers.
Only $60K??? You are nuts. That is not enough to support smart phone, daily lattes, theater tickets weekly, Uber > 5blocks, etc. No blue city TWOT could live without that.
Yah gotta think of the blue city “citizens” who expect > $100k as a starter job. Why, that is why they got their degrees in gender studies!!
She actually didn't know what she wanted to do at the beginning of her AA education. By the time she finished her two years in an inexpensive but quality junior college, she had decided to be a medical technician.
The linemans sa;ary is grossly under reported. They are generally IBEW unionized and they receive very high pay when they work overtime during stormy weather.
Als thiose who have their master ticket ( red ticket) , and who work on high tension lines with high transmission towers earn very high wages, a lot more than is reported.
Being a lineman is one of the best jobs on this list.
A friend signed her lazy 21 year old son up for training to be a lineman for TVA about 6 years ago. The cost was $15,000 for 4 months of training. There was a guaranteed job starting at $65,000 for all who finished the course. Lazy boy went for two weeks, and the parents were out the money.
AI will mostly be replacing women in pink collar jobs.
60k is what after all government taxes? 38k?
You think 38k is good money in 2024? C’mon.
If you want to make real money, you have to have your own business. If you are really good, you can charge top dollar and customers will pay it.
The numbers from broadcast engineers and the like listed has to be for the bigger markets.
I worked in a public television station having just a diploma in TV and made more than most of the regular people at the commercial stations who were media arts and the like.
Not that I made any great sum. Early 00s, about 24k. The news people I knew anything of even close to what I was, well below.
Best song ever written.
Airframe and PowerPlant mechanics earn $150k plus at the major airlines.
Ship and boat captains and operators make a lot more than that.
At least in Alaska fisheries; there was a guy in a North Carolina town where I lived who made captain on a crab boat.
He would fly to Alaska for the season and sometimes pull in 200k-300k then spend the rest of the year at home with his kids.
That was 34 years ago.
Then again it’s not easy to make captain.
The apprentoce system is the best way. The course work is often offered for free or low tuition by most state licensing boards, or by a statewide powwr corporation.
No need to pay for the courses if a yougster is willing to travel out of state for his tickets.
My step grand daughter is the first female lineman in the province where I live, ( super athletic).She can out climb most of the 50 men on her line crew.
In this case the link includes your email address. Most of them don't but the info in those links can be traced back to you. There are already have a million ways for them to invade our privacy.
The trick is to delete everything in the URL starting with the "?". Everything after that is to identify you and has nothing to do with the subject.
htttttps:/www.ibtimes.co.uk/blue-collar-jobs-that-pay-well-us-these-roles-pay-60k-1724675?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=link0&utm_campaign=ibt-uk-morning-brief&nl_id=14&user_id=xxxxx@gmail.com
I added some "t's" in the http to prevent it from showing up as a link so you can see what I'm talking about and changed the email to x's.
If you find the "?" and delete it and everything after it, it will look something like this and still work but without your personal info.
htttttps://www.ibtimes.co.uk/blue-collar-jobs-that-pay-well-us-these-roles-pay-60k-1724675
No song ever captured the human longing like that one. Still gives me goose-bumps.
Exactly. A "job" is a mere apprenticeship for going out on your own.
“Postmasters and mail superintendents oversee staff, ensure efficient mail processing and delivery, and maintain office operations. The role typically requires passing qualifying exams and background checks, and experience in administration can be beneficial.”
In Georgia, we can’t get our mail. Oh, we get junk mail daily but important first class mail seldom arrives or if it does it is 2 or 3 weeks from the postmark date. This has been going on for over a year and no one seems to be able to solve the problem. However, every few months I see an article of another postal worker being arrested for theft.
In Georgia, the USPS is a jobs program for DEI hires and they are making a killing stealing the mail. Also, just earlier this month there was an article regarding absentee ballots just magically getting lost and never making it to their destination (all from a very rural county).
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