> Sounds like an engineer's money may have been worth much more than a laborer's? Not in general. It heavily depended on individual circumstances. For example

> Sounds like an engineer's money may have been worth much more than a laborer's? Not in general. It heavily depended on individual circumstances. For example, machinists could earn a bit more money by using factory tools (lathes, drills, etc.) to make replacement parts for cars. And a lot of workers were stealing some of the product their factory was making. There was a common attitude of "everything around is common, so everything's around is mine". On the other hand, engineers had more career perspectives. They were more likely to be promoted to managerial positions.