Introduction to Sociology

The Upper Middle Class

Upper-middle-class people tend to hold bachelor’s and postgraduate degrees. They’ve studied subjects such as business, management, law, or medicine.
Comfort is a key concept for this group, as they work hard and live materially secure lives. Upper-middle-class people tend to pursue careers that earn higher incomes. They provide their families with large homes and nice cars. They may go skiing or boating on vacation, and their children receive high-quality education and healthcare (Gilbert 2010).

The Average Middle Class

In the average middle class, people hold jobs supervised by members of the upper middle class. They fill administrative support positions, or work as teachers, as office or bank clerks and assistants, and are often in lower-level “white collar” jobs. Average middle class members generally hold bachelor’s degrees from four-year colleges or associate degrees from two-year community or technical colleges.
Compared to lower class work, average middle class jobs carry more prestige and come with slightly higher paychecks. With these incomes, people can afford a decent, mainstream lifestyle, but may struggle to maintain it. They generally don’t have enough income to build significant savings. In addition, their grip on class status is more precarious than in the upper tiers of the class system. They tend to own their own homes, but the mortgages are often more cumbersome, leaving less money for travel, investments, and private schools. 

Watch It

Watch this video to learn about how the middle class in America has shrunk in recent years.
https://youtu.be/_MMKZSQaKxU

The Lower Middle Class or Working Class

Working-class people often hold jobs in manual labor, or so called “blue collar” work. These jobs are often hands-on and might include physically demanding occupations such as factory work, machine maintenance, or construction. These people work jobs that may initially require little prior skill or experience and they often perform routine tasks under close supervision. At the more advanced level, these workers may hold certifications and be qualified as better paid “skilled” workers. These jobs are sensitive to recessions and other economic downturns, as well as to global movement of production overseas and the automation of factory work. When budgets are tight, this group is often the most likely to lose their jobs.
Most often working class people have less formal education and earn less money compared to the average middle class individual.

Figure 3. This man is a custodian at a restaurant. His job, which is crucial to the business, is considered lower class. (Photo courtesy of Frederick Md Publicity/flickr)