What’s The Color Of Your Collar? Know Your Job Classification Here

2 min read By eCompareMo on April 30, 2020

(This article was originally published on April 27, 2017, and updated on April 30, 2020.)

No company or organization runs with a homogenous workforce. Some employees need to do manual labor; some handle tons of paperwork; others are assigned to do fieldwork; and then there are freelancers who are occasionally included in the payroll.

Pretty sure you know where you stand in the structural organization, but do you know the color of your collar?

You may be familiar with the terms “white collar” and “blue collar”—occupational classifications used simply to distinguish employees who perform manual labor from the office employees.

The notion is that people in white-collar jobs have higher pay grade, while blue-collared post runs by hourly wage. However, this do not hold true all the time.

As business structures and nature transform overtime, job designations and occupations become diverse. The workforce segmentation has become a mixed of white and blue collars.

The adjustment to market demands lead to further development of better business models paired with versatility of employees created new kinds of jobs as an offshoot.

So what collar are you wearing now? Here are some new job classifications to be familiar with.

White collar

Typically associated with a desk job, these people are usually tasked with clerical, administrative, and managerial functions. This segment typically requires formal education.

Blue collar

This is the class of the skilled workers who do labor using their hands, or so-called manual and technical labor. Most blue-collar occupations do not require formal education but some jobs require vocational degrees.

Gray collar

This segment is the “gray area” of job segmentation as it is used as the neutral title to several posts, though some use it as a term for people in the information technology sector.

Some cultures also pertain to them as the old-aged workforce, while others define them as underemployed white-collar workers.

Gold collar

They are the most sought-after professionals; the highly skilled set in which accountants, surgeons, engineers, and lawyers fall under.

Pink collar

These are jobs that are “culturally held by women,” the usage of which is already changed and applicable to all service jobs in the industry. Waiters, retail clerks, and sales personnel of both genders are under this category.

Green collar

This encompasses all the jobs in the environmental sector. Often called a “green job,” it covers occupations that handle the conservation and sustainability of the environment.

Orange collar

This term is used for prison laborers.

Black collar

They are laborers who generally deal with dirty and dusty workload like mining and drilling. However, the term “black collar” is sometimes associated with illegal professions or monkey business.

Chrome collar

This is a new and advanced technological working concept. These are the types of jobs that are automated and done by robots.

Popped collar

Employees who are from rich families but take on 9-5 jobs for character building. They can also be young people who usually work at prestigious golf clubs or in stocks.

No collar

Artists and free spirits who choose passion and growth than financial gains. People who don’t get paid but still work as volunteers fall under this segment as well.