Two things that I will point out. If a woman marries a man because of his earning potential, or that even factors into it, she is marrying him for the wrong reasons. Okay, when my father was going to marry my mother (in 1969), my maternal grandfather (my mother was 19 at this point and you had to be 21 to be considered a fully-fledged adult) would not allow the marriage to proceed unless my father had a better paying job than he had, so he called upon a contact to offer my father a job as a confectionary van salesman.

Two, some blue collar workers are on equal if not better pay than doctors and lawyers. People consider blue collar workers to be those who lacked the opportunity or willingness to pursue higher education, but many blue collar workers, nowadays, union members or not, do not turn up to work in cars or utilities that are one step away from being declared unroadworthy, Many can afford to buy a brand new Toyota Hilux or even a Volkswagen Amarok every few years, and can afford to have a surfing holiday in Hawaii, in July, and a skiing holiday in Whistler, Nagano, or wherever else without breaking the bank. And, of a weekend, their Hilux or Amarok pulls not a trailer but a boat on a trailer.

Women have the same opportunities to be doctors, lawyers and the like, but are frequently subjected to misogyny and abuse, as well as reduced earning potential. My own mother, and I thought this was as ridiculous as it was appalling, does not understand why I, as a sex abuse survivor, am not comfortable with male doctors and even said, "Oh, but a male doctor could be doing research into your condition." (Well, Hello, my neurologist is a female and SHE is a Professor! Okay, I saw one female neurologist, who was EXTREMELY RUDE and abusive, and a male who was just as bad! And, Hello, my kidney specialist is female and her "kids" have four legs (they're dogs) and she not only practices, but she lectures medical students, as well).