From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwage-earnerˈwage-ˌearner noun [countable] 1 EARNsomeone in a family who earns money for the rest of the family2 BEWsomeone who works for wages Both wage-earners and salaried officials were protected by the new regulations.
Examples from the Corpus
wage-earner• James mentioned that he had never understood why people went on strike until he became a wage-earner.• The lowest incomes were generally supplemented by charity and in many households women and children were also wage-earners.• As a result it is important to create as many wage-earners and taxpayers as possible.• With current inflation most wage-earners or salaried employees have regular increases in basic remuneration.• To Elfed, Richard was a potential wage-earner, and there he was in school, costing money not earning it.• Families without wage-earners must seek relief from government social security programs. 