What Are The Most Dangerous Occupations In The United States?

March 12, 2020
By Glauber Berenson Vego

Every occupation has its hazards — but some jobs are simply more dangerous than others. Despite all of the advancements we’ve made in workplace safety, some occupations are still disproportionately deadly for workers.

Using figures from 2017 provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and the Occupational Employment Statistics program, researchers were able to determine which jobs were the most deadly. Among their results were the following revelations:

  • The most dangerous occupations exposed workers to accidental injuries and deaths through trips, slips and falls, transportation accidents, exposure to toxic substances or dangerous equipment and physical violence.
  • It’s probably no surprise, based on the above information, that fishermen and fishing industry workers are at the top of the list for deadly accidents despite only earning about $28,310 annually, followed closely by logging workers, who only earn around $38,840 per year.
  • Pilots and flight engineers make considerably more each year, earning about $111,930, but they’re also in the third-most deadly occupation because of the possibility of a transportation accident.
  • Fatality rates among those three occupations alone can be 20 times higher than the average.

Other industries that have a high rate of injury and death include roofers, refuse collectors, steel and iron industry workers, drivers and agricultural workers of all kinds.

It’s wise to understand the risks you face when you’re on the job. Prevention starts with an awareness of danger. Just the same, even the most careful worker can’t eliminate all of the on-the-job hazards they may encounter. If you are injured on the job, find out more about your legal right to ask for compensation.