I don't know many people who would consider any of those jobs "blue collar." I've been an entry level engineer and made $50k. I was underpaid compared to my contemporaries on the coasts. I almost became a military officer and have many friends who are. New LTs make about $45k in equivalent civillian pay (gets complicated with BAH). Teachers tend to start out in the $35k range in most markets, but they also don't work the summers. The only relation we have to blue collar work is our unions and the fact that seniority rules all. We have made ourselves interchangable labor in most markets. If we were expected to do more than drive the bus (like sell the airline to our customers) then we might be considered more than bus drivers. How many of us take the time to talk to our customers? I'd be happy just to have little wings to hand out to kids.