Quick answer: A blue collar occupations list covers hands-on jobs in construction, installation, maintenance and repair, production, and transportation. Common examples include electricians, plumbers, welders, carpenters, HVAC technicians, truck drivers, and line installers. The highest paying blue collar jobs, like nuclear power reactor operators and elevator installers, pay over $100,000 a year (BLS, May 2025).
Blue collar work has an image problem it doesn't deserve. Plenty of people still picture it as "the backup plan." Meanwhile, the person who fixed your air conditioning in July charged more per hour than your last three freelance gigs combined.
This guide gives you a practical blue collar jobs list, real pay figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the training each path needs, and how to write a resume that actually gets you hired in the trades.
What Is a Blue Collar Job?
A blue collar job is work that is mainly hands-on: building, installing, repairing, operating machinery, or moving goods. The name comes from the darker work shirts (often blue denim or chambray) that hid dirt and grease better than an office worker's white shirt.
Today the label covers a huge range of skill levels. It includes entry-level labor roles that require no formal credential, and highly technical jobs where you troubleshoot control systems, read schematics, or operate a nuclear reactor.
Blue collar vs. white collar comes down to the type of work, not the paycheck:
- Blue collar: physical or technical work on site, in a plant, in a vehicle, or in the field. Often paid hourly. Training usually comes through apprenticeships, trade schools, or on-the-job learning.
- White collar: office-based professional, managerial, or administrative work. Often salaried. Usually tied to a college degree.
Plenty of blue collar workers out-earn plenty of white collar workers. The BLS reports the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980 in May 2025, and most of the trades below beat that.
The Main Blue Collar Job Categories
Most lists group blue collar work into the same handful of fields:
- Construction and extraction: carpenters, electricians, plumbers, ironworkers, construction laborers, equipment operators, miners.
- Installation, maintenance, and repair: HVAC technicians, elevator installers, line installers, automotive and aircraft mechanics, wind turbine technicians.
- Production and manufacturing: welders, machinists, CNC operators, assemblers, power plant operators.
- Transportation and material moving: truck drivers, delivery drivers, forklift operators, rail workers.
- Farming, fishing, and forestry: agricultural workers, loggers, fishers.
- Public and protective services (often included): firefighters, postal workers, and sanitation workers sometimes appear on blue collar lists because of the hands-on, shift-based nature of the work.
Blue Collar Occupations List: 15 Jobs With Pay and Training
All pay figures below are median annual pay from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2025 data. "Median" means half of workers earn more and half earn less. Your actual pay will depend on location, union status, overtime, and experience.
1. Nuclear Power Reactor Operator
- Median pay: $122,890
- Training: High school diploma plus long-term on-the-job training and licensing.
- What you do: Control the reactor, monitor equipment, and respond to abnormal conditions. Very high responsibility, very low tolerance for "I'll check it after lunch."
2. Elevator and Escalator Installer and Repairer
- Median pay: $109,910
- Training: High school diploma plus an apprenticeship that typically lasts 4 years.
- Outlook: Projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, faster than average.
3. Power Plant Operator, Distributor, or Dispatcher
- Median pay: $105,080
- Training: High school diploma plus long-term on-the-job training.
- Heads-up: Employment is projected to decline 4% from 2025 to 2035, so openings mostly come from retirements.
4. Line Installer and Repairer
- Median pay: $95,320
- Training: High school diploma plus long-term training, often an apprenticeship of up to 3 years.
- Outlook: Projected 10% growth, much faster than average.
5. Aircraft and Avionics Mechanic
- Median pay: $80,180
- Training: Usually a certificate from an FAA-approved aviation maintenance program.
6. Boilermaker
- Median pay: $76,410
- Training: High school diploma plus an apprenticeship of about 4 years.
7. Construction and Building Inspector
- Median pay: $74,690
- Training: High school diploma plus moderate-term on-the-job training (most inspectors bring years of trade experience).
8. Wind Turbine Technician
- Median pay: $64,120
- Training: A postsecondary certificate plus long-term on-the-job training.
- Outlook: Projected 30% growth, one of the fastest in the trades. Not ideal if you're afraid of heights, which is most of the job.
9. Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter
- Median pay: $63,800
- Training: High school diploma plus an apprenticeship.
10. Electrician
- Median pay: $63,190
- Training: High school diploma plus a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship.
- Outlook: Projected 9% growth, much faster than average.
11. HVAC Mechanic and Installer
- Median pay: $61,010
- Training: Usually a postsecondary certificate; some start with a high school diploma.
- Outlook: Projected 11% growth.
12. Carpenter
- Median pay: $60,580
- Training: High school diploma plus apprenticeship or on-the-job learning.
13. Construction Equipment Operator
- Median pay: $59,600
- Training: High school diploma plus moderate-term training; some complete a 3- to 4-year apprenticeship.
14. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver
- Median pay: $58,640
- Training: Truck driving school (typically 3 to 6 months) and a commercial driver's license.
15. Welder, Cutter, Solderer, or Brazer
- Median pay: $53,750
- Training: High school diploma plus moderate-term on-the-job training.
Other common blue collar jobs you'll see on most lists: automotive service technicians ($50,620 median), construction laborers and helpers ($46,680 median, no formal credential typically required), machinists, roofers, painters, masons, forklift operators, and maintenance workers.
Highest Paying Blue Collar Jobs: What They Have in Common
Look at the top of the list and a pattern shows up. The highest paying blue collar jobs tend to share three traits:
- Long training periods. Four-year apprenticeships and licensing raise the barrier to entry, and pay follows.
- High stakes. Reactors, power grids, and elevators all punish mistakes. Employers pay for people who don't make them.
- Uncomfortable conditions. Heights, storms, confined spaces, and night shifts. Line installers fix power after the storm, not before it.
If you want maximum pay, look for roles that combine a formal apprenticeship with a specialized system, such as power generation, elevators, or utility lines.
How to Get Into a Blue Collar Career
Most trades follow a similar path:
- Finish high school or a GED. Nearly every apprenticeship asks for it, and many require basic algebra.
- Choose your entry point. Union apprenticeships, employer-sponsored programs, community college certificates, and trade schools all work. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn, which beats paying tuition.
- Get entry-level certifications. Think OSHA safety cards, a CDL for driving roles, or EPA certification for HVAC refrigerant work.
- Log your hours. Licensed trades like electrician and plumber require documented on-the-job hours before you can test for a journeyman license.
- Specialize. Industrial controls, commercial HVAC, and utility work often pay more than general residential jobs.
How to Write a Blue Collar Resume That Gets Calls
Most lists skip this part, which is odd, because you still need a resume to get the job. Trades hiring managers skim fast. Make their skim easy.
- Put licenses and certifications near the top. Journeyman license, CDL Class A, OSHA 30, EPA 608, AWS welding certs. These are often the first filter.
- List the equipment and tools you can run. Excavators, MIG/TIG welders, multimeters, PLCs. Specific tool names are resume keywords that applicant tracking systems scan for.
- Quantify your work. "Completed 120+ residential service calls per month with zero safety incidents" beats "did service calls." Our guide on turning duties into results shows how.
- Highlight safety. Days without a recordable incident is a real selling point.
- Show reliability. Mention attendance awards, emergency call-outs, and on-call rotations.
Switching from an office job? Frame your project management and customer skills for the trades using our career change resume guide. And if you're comparing trades with other well-paid options, see our list of the best high paying jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are examples of blue collar jobs?
Common examples include electricians, plumbers, carpenters, welders, HVAC technicians, truck drivers, construction laborers, mechanics, and line installers. Factory, warehouse, and utility jobs also fall into the blue collar category. The common thread is hands-on physical or technical work.
What is the highest paying blue collar job?
Among BLS occupational profiles, nuclear power reactor operators had one of the highest medians at $122,890 (May 2025). Elevator and escalator installers ($109,910) and power plant operators ($105,080) also topped $100,000. These roles require long training and carry high responsibility.
Do blue collar jobs require a college degree?
Most do not. The typical entry requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent, followed by an apprenticeship, trade school certificate, or on-the-job training. Some technical roles, like aircraft mechanics, usually require a postsecondary certificate.
Is a police officer or firefighter a blue collar job?
They are sometimes included in blue collar lists because the work is physical and shift-based. Officially, government data groups them under protective service occupations. Whether you call them blue collar is mostly a matter of definition.
Are blue collar jobs in demand?
Many are. The BLS projects much-faster-than-average growth from 2025 to 2035 for wind turbine technicians (30%), HVAC mechanics (11%), line installers (10%), and electricians (9%). Some roles, like power plant operators, are projected to decline.
What is the difference between blue collar and white collar?
Blue collar jobs involve manual or technical hands-on work, often paid hourly. White collar jobs are office-based professional or administrative roles, often salaried. Pay does not reliably favor either side.
Build Your Trades Resume in Minutes
Whatever trade you pick, the hiring manager still wants to see your licenses, tools, and safety record in one clean page. Our Resume Builder helps you turn "I fix things" into bullet points that show exactly what you can do.