professional vs white-collar

professional is a noun but white-collar is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
professional	Yes	Yes	No	No
white-collar	No	Yes	No	No

professional (noun)	white-collar (noun)
a person engaged in one of the learned professions
an authority qualified to teach apprentices
an athlete who plays for pay

professional (adjective)	white-collar (adjective)
engaged in a profession or engaging in as a profession or means of livelihood	of or designating salaried professional or clerical work or workers
characteristic of or befitting a profession or one engaged in a profession
of or relating to a profession
of or relating to or suitable as a profession
engaged in by members of a profession