A workingman is someone who earns their living through physical labor or skilled trades rather than professional or office work. Workingmen might build houses, fix cars, operate machinery, install plumbing, or work in factories. The term usually refers to people whose jobs require hands-on skills and often involve getting their hands dirty, wearing work boots, and using tools.

For most of history, workingmen formed the backbone of many economies, constructing buildings, manufacturing goods, mining coal, and keeping farms productive.

The word carries respect for honest, productive work. When someone talks about workingman's wages or workingman's hands, they're acknowledging the dignity of earning a living through real effort. A workingman may take pride in a job well done: a perfectly laid brick wall, an engine that purrs smoothly, or a roof that won't leak.

Related terms include working class (a social group many workingmen belong to) and blue-collar worker (named for the durable blue shirts many wore to hide stains). A contrasting term is white-collar worker, someone who works primarily at a desk in professional settings.