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Synonyms

wage earner

American  

noun

  1. a person who works for wages, especially a laborer.


wage earner British  

noun

  1. a person who works for wages, esp as distinguished from one paid a salary

  2. the person who earns money to support a household by working

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of wage earner

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

First, the basics: What about wage earners who take commonly-used tax breaks like the standard deduction and do their own taxes already?

From MarketWatch

Indeed, according to our new report, the average Latino wage earner here earns roughly $10,000 a year less than their counterparts in less regulated places such as Texas.

From Los Angeles Times

By contrast, wage earners with employers who withhold income taxes from each paycheck may not have that type of flexibility.

From MarketWatch

The consumer-price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers, known as CPI-W, is the index used to determine the annual COLA.

From MarketWatch

This is true for both spousal benefits when the higher wage earner is alive and for survivor benefits.

From Los Angeles Times