What are the most dangerous jobs in America? We took a closer look at the fatal injury rates of America’s occupations, which compare the number of fatal injuries to the number of hours worked by 100,000 full-time-equivalent employees, to find both the top safest and top deadliest jobs in America.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues to battle workplace safety issues every year, but 5,250 workers still died on the job in 2018. The top type of accident is roadway accidents, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but fatal falls make up a large number of preventable accidents, too. Falls are among OSHA’s “fatal four” in construction, areas that need active improvement in order to prevent deaths.
The most dangerous jobs in the U.S. are those that are consistently dangerous, often due to environmental factors like slippery areas or difficult terrain. Here are America’s most dangerous professions.
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What Is the Most Dangerous Job in the U.S.?
The most dangerous occupation in the U.S. is that of a logging worker. (They don’t call some of the hazards loggers face “widowmakers” for nothing!) Logging remains the most dangerous job in the U.S. within a very dangerous industry, with a fatality rate of 97.59 and a total of 56 deaths in 2018. People with this job only make an average of $40,650 per year, and the career outlook has been steadily declining.
The Top 10 Most Dangerous Jobs in the U.S.
1. Logging Workers
Fatality Rate: 97.59
Total Fatal Injuries: 56
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Contact with objects or equipment
2. Fishers and Related Fishing Workers
Fatality Rate: 77.37
Total Fatal Injuries: 30
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Transportation incidents
3. Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers
Fatality Rate: 58.95
Total Fatal Injuries: 70
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Transportation incidents
4. Roofers
Fatality Rate: 51.50
Total Fatal Injuries: 96
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Falls, slips, and trips
5. Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Fatality Rate: 44.33
Total Fatal Injuries: 37
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Transportation incidents
6. Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers
Fatality Rate: 26.01
Total Fatal Injuries: 966
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Transportation incidents
7. Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
Fatality Rate: 24.68
Total Fatal Injuries: 257
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Transportation incidents
8. Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Fatality Rate: 23.59
Total Fatal Injuries: 15
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Falls, slips, and trips
9. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Fatality Rate: 21
Total Fatal Injuries: 144
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Transportation incidents
10. First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
Fatality Rate: 20.20
Total Fatal Injuries: 48
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Falls, slips, and trips
What Is the Safest Job for Workplace Accidents in America?
Computer and mathematical occupations are the safest jobs in the U.S., with a fatality rate of only 0.24. More than 4 million people work in this type of job, with only 12 of them experiencing fatal accidents in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available. The median wage for this type of occupation, which includes computer programmers, systems administrators, statisticians, and actuaries, is $91,530. For reference, that’s more than double the pay for America’s most dangerous job, logging.
The Top 10 Safest Jobs in America
1. Computer and Mathematical Occupations
Fatality Rate: 0.24
Total Fatal Injuries: 12
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Violence and other injuries by persons or animals
2. Education, Training, and Library Occupations
Fatality Rate: 0.34
Total Fatal Injuries: 27
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Falls, slips, and trips
3. Registered Nurses
Fatality Rate: 0.44
Total Fatal Injuries: 13
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Transportation incidents
4. Business and Financial Operations Occupations
Fatality Rate: 0.51
Total Fatal Injuries: 38
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Transportation incidents
5. Health-Care Practitioners and Technical Occupations
Fatality Rate: 0.73
Total Fatal Injuries: 65
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Transportation incidents
6. Construction Managers
Fatality Rate: 0.74
Total Fatal Injuries: 8
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Undisclosed/other
7. Legal Occupations
Fatality Rate: 0.77
Total Fatal Injuries: 15
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Violence and other injuries by persons or animals
8. Community and Social Service Occupations
Fatality Rate: 0.84
Total Fatal Injuries: 23
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Transportation incidents
9. Architecture and Engineering Occupations
Fatality Rate: 0.90
Total Fatal Injuries: 30
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Transportation incidents
10. Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
Fatality Rate: 1.15
Total Fatal Injuries: 18
Most Common Type of Fatal Accidents: Violence and Other Injuries by Persons or Animals
Those are the top 10 least and top 10 most dangerous jobs in the USA, but that doesn’t mean any ordinary job can’t lead to a preventable workplace injury. While it’s hard to predict every type of accident, employers have a responsibility to make their workplaces safe and not treat their employees like guinea pigs. Workplace accidents are not inevitable and can even lead to wrongful death. Definitely keep safety in mind no matter what position you may be in, whether you’re swinging through trees or accidentally spilling coffee in the break room!
