Do you think there is too much difference in the salaries of manual jobs and office work?

Question

It doesn't seem fair to me that a lot of manual labour jobs only pay the minimum wage. Surely, doing dangerous jobs and working out in all weathers is worth more than that? Manual workers are far more likely to suffer injuries or industrial illnesses than office workers, so why are they paid so much less?

Answer 1

they are paid less because just about anyone can do them. They are low skilled that is why so many illegals go into construction, land scaping and other manual jobs. you don't need to know the computer, how to file, read or write for half of them. Many office jobs even plain Secretaries you need training to do them so people just can't walk in off the street and do it

Answer 2

Jobs that are manual vs. mental don't necessarily relate to salary, all though when you reach the managerial levels it would seem that way.

Companies are paying for skills. The more people that can do a skill, the less money they can charge for that skill. It's a matter of supply and demand.

If the skill takes a College Degree, then you've limited the field as to potential candidates that can perform that skill for you. That automatically increases the wages that can be demanded for the job. If the skill takes a Masters Degree, then you've again further reduced the number of people that qualify.

In the end, the more competition you can eliminate, the higher salary you can demand for your skill. However, one must be careful too. Sometimes your skill is so specialized and unique that nobody needs it. Then, you go from being highly priced to worthless. More common is that you pick a skill that eventually we offshore. This happen with people that could make clothes. Seamsters were popular. But then, they became almost (not quite) obsolete in America as cheap garments can be made in Taiwan. Recently, this trend has hit office workers too. Now India does the Information Technology Programming work that a lot of American's went to College, got their BS degree, and used to get good jobs to do. Now, their salaries are going down as they compete with India.

So.... it's not the manual vs mental.... its the skills you have.

Answer 3

A fast explanation, Blue collar workers are wage earners skills Varying fro0m no real marketable skill to highly trained workers. dirty environment White collar workers are non salary to salaried workers any where from office workers to Doctors and lawyers. Clean environment. Operational people are from both blue collar and white collar. These are the ones that make the clock go tic-talk. If there is severe weather these are the folks that are called in to help as an example hospital workers that work in the ER for the most part are mission essential. The same is true for public service workers. Maybe it is just best to say if a job effects everyone and is a real necessity to keeping a city going Health, electric , water, fire, police, rescue, etc. these are operation essentials. private business also has what they call operational essentials, but this is at a company level Like the guy that stokes the furnace. or a guy that maintains the computer bank

Answer 4

It's not so much manual labor vs office, but skilled vs unskilled.

For instance, some of the people who are paid low wages are receptionists, filing clerks, unskilled construction workers, landscapers, housekeepers and the like.

Skilled people who make good money? Plumbers, Explosive Specialists in Mines, Crane Operators, Computer Programers, Lawyers, Nurses.

People with valued skills are paid well. People with no skills or skills we value less are paid... less.

Answer 5

It is usually supply and demand. The question is, how many people can do the office jobs, and how many people can do the manual jobs? And what skills are required?

Answer 6

The problem is the illegal immigrants - they are taking the Manual jobs for below Minimum.

Answer 7

manual workers get paid to much already office workers make it happen its the price you pay for no paying attention at school or just being plain thick.